ServerPropertiesReload

ServerPropertiesReload is a lightweight Paper plugin developed by DFD3 that helps server administrators preview and apply supported server.properties changes without restarting the entire server.

The plugin is designed to be simple, safe, and efficient. It does not use a generic server reload system, unnecessary background tasks, or continuous polling. Instead, it validates configuration changes and applies only settings that are explicitly supported at runtime.

Features

• Preview Changes: Review detected configuration changes before applying them
• Safe Reload: Apply supported runtime settings after validation
• Restart Notifications: Identify settings that require a server restart instead of claiming they were applied
• Status Command: View the result and details of the latest operation
• Configurable Commands: Customize the main command through config.yml
• Custom Messages: Edit plugin messages through messages.yml
• Configurable Sounds: Set different sounds for successful reloads, errors, restart-required settings, and unchanged configurations
• Small Caps Font: Optionally use Unicode small-capital English text where supported
• Latest Operation Log: Store details of the most recent relevant operation in logs/latest.log
• Lightweight Design: No unnecessary background tasks or constant file checks

Commands

• /spr preview — Preview detected changes without applying them
• /spr reload — Validate the configuration and apply supported runtime changes
• /spr status — View the latest operation result, time, and change counts
• /spr about — Display plugin information, developer, and version

The main command can be changed in config.yml. The examples above use the default command, spr.

File Structure

The plugin keeps its configuration, messages, and operation logs organized separately.

plugins/
└── ServerPropertiesReload/
    ├── config.yml
    ├── messages.yml
    └── logs/
        └── latest.log

config.yml

Contains the plugin's main settings, including the command name, font option, and sound configuration.

messages.yml

Contains configurable player-facing messages, command responses, validation errors, and operation reports.

logs/latest.log

Contains details of the latest relevant operation, including its result and detected changes. It is designed to avoid accumulating large historical operation logs.

Safety and Compatibility

ServerPropertiesReload uses an explicit allowlist of properties that can be safely applied at runtime. Properties that require a restart or cannot be reliably changed while the server is running are reported accordingly.

Changing a value in server.properties does not automatically mean the running server has adopted that value. The plugin reports what it actually applied and does not claim success for unsupported changes.

The plugin targets Paper servers and aims to support Minecraft Java Edition 1.21 through the latest stable version available during development. Compatibility claims should be limited to versions that have actually been tested.

About

Plugin: ServerPropertiesReload
Description: Lightweight Properties Manager
Developer: DFD3

Built for server administrators who want a clear and lightweight way to manage supported server properties without unnecessary restarts. 67