Live Reload & Watching

Live reload watches your source package and repeats the linking process whenever files change. Use it while developing so the consumer project always reflects the latest code.

What the watcher does

• Monitors the source folder for file changes.
• Skips paths listed in .gitignore to reduce noise.
• Waits for a short debounce window before firing another build.

How jobs are queued

1. Each change schedules a new link, but Oink runs one job at a time.
2. If another change arrives mid-run, Oink drops older pending work and keeps only the newest request.
3. Logs still appear in the terminal, and desktop notifications confirm the result.

Debounce rules

• The default debounce is 200 milliseconds.
• Passing --debounce <ms> increases the delay. Values below 200 are clamped to keep the system stable.

Caution

Heavy builds? Start with --debounce 500. You can shorten the delay once rebuilds feel smooth.

Tips for smooth runs

• Pair --livereload with --reprompt only when you want Oink to restart after finishing a run.
• Ensure git is available. Without it, Oink cannot honour .gitignore, and every change triggers a rebuild.

One-off linking

Skip --livereload when you only need a single link. Oink will run once and exit.