# Hot Reload

This page explains how go-rest-client watches the `.http` file and reloads the request list after you save.

## Triggers

On startup, `fsnotify` watches the file given on the command line. A `fsnotify.Write` or `fsnotify.Create` event starts a 200ms timer; any further event during that window resets it, so a burst of editor writes triggers only one reload. `fsnotify.Remove`, `fsnotify.Rename`, and `fsnotify.Chmod` events do not trigger a reload.

## Reload Flow

| Stage | Hint bar | Description |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| Start | Yellow `Edited at HH:MM:SS` | Timer fired |
| Parse | — | `ReadFile` re-parses the whole file |
| Success | Green `Reloaded at HH:MM:SS` | List refreshed; cursor returns to the previous index (first item if the new list is shorter) |
| Failure | Red `error at HH:MM:SS` | List and info pane keep their pre-reload content |

The cursor is restored by **index**, not by request name: inserting or deleting requests above the current one moves the cursor to a different request.

## Watch Errors

Errors reported by `fsnotify` appear in the hint bar as red `Watch error: ...`, and the program keeps running.

## Editor Compatibility

Only `fsnotify.Write`/`fsnotify.Create` are handled, and a single file path is watched. Editors that save by writing a temp file and renaming it over the original cause a `fsnotify.Rename` or `fsnotify.Remove` on the watched file; the watch is not re-added, so later edits stop triggering reloads. Restart `gorc` when this happens. See [Known Limitations](/known-limitations).