C & C++ hot-reload/live coding
Live++® 2 - spend more time coding and less time loading.
Hot-Reload. Hot-Restart. Hot-Fix. Hot-Deoptimize.
The next generation of the industry-standard tool for Windows & Xbox Series X|S.
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Native speed
Live++ enables hot-reload for C & C++ applications, combining the power of rapid iteration with the speed of a compiled language.
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Binary code patching
Live++ compiles your changes in the background, directly patching the machine code of the running executable. It works with any kind of C & C++ code and requires neither plug-ins nor a debugger or IDE.
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Stand-alone
Start your application from anywhere, modify its source code using your favourite editor, and let Live++ do the rest.
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Versatile
Whether you're working on new features, trying out gameplay mechanics, optimizing code, or fixing bugs, Live++ will massively cut down your iteration times.
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Reliable
Live++ reliably works with both debug and optimized builds, supports multi-process and networked editing, and does not care about your build setup.
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Technical background
Interested in how Live++ works?
Check out this talk from the THQ Nordic Dev Summit 2023.
Free Trial
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Includes example projects and solutions for Visual Studio 2017, 2019, and 2022.
Fully featured, no registration required, no strings attached.
Testimonials
In addition to supporting thousands of developers using Unreal Engine all around the world, Live++ is used by more than 70 companies on their proprietary engines and frameworks.
Still not convinced? Check out what some of our customers have to say about Live++:
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Live++ is "Edit and Continue that actually works". Programmers at Asobo Studio have been using it throughout development of Asobo Studio's C++-based products (millions of lines of code). It has become a standard part of our workflow, increasing developer productivity (and happiness 😊).
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I came to rely on Live++ in an almost unhealthy way. There's no C++ code I am working on where it can't be profitably used. It's integrated in minutes and gets me reliably around seconds or even minutes long program re-starts. Live++ also became my investigation sandbox in which I can explore and refactor my running code. I hunt down bugs by querying and testing my code interactively and old-school debugging methods get a modern spin - debug prints and runtime variable modification on steroids.
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Seeing Live++ in action seems like magic, and it very well might be. Aside from our Unreal projects we used it on a game with a custom engine and a very long iteration cycle. Over the five years of development, Live++ likely saved us months by avoiding the dreaded "change line - compile - load - test - repeat" cycle and letting us experiment and implement the game logic while the game was running. Between integration taking just a few minutes, and the free trial being available, there really isn't an excuse to not give it a try!
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Live++ is the single biggest improvement in productivity for C++ codebases. Fast feedback loops are a superpower.
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We integrated Live++ into Godot 4.0 and it was surprising how little work it required compared to how much it improved the workflow.
The time invested already paid off in the same week. -
Live++ has enabled engineers across Frostbite, and the game teams using it, to iterate and debug so much faster. No longer needing to restart the game/editor to apply changes is fantastic, but being able to deoptimize the current file has been a godsend for productivity. Can't recommend it enough!
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Most of the companies our embedded engineers provide services for thankfully use Live++ to supercharge their workflows.
But even if we can't convince a client of its merits: Integration takes less than fifteen minutes and is easily shared among engineers locally without ever reaching version control, making for an amazing covert productivity boost.
It's hard not to feel like a secret agent with gadgetry this nifty! -
Live++ has been a game changer for me. The ability to make changes to code while the application is running supercharges iteration times and makes tweaking and tuning behaviours so much easier. It's also come in handy a number of times when debugging an issue. Being able to add extra logging/instrumentation without having to restart the application is incredibly useful.
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Live++ is crazy simple to integrate and has transformed my workflow. Returning to a codebase without live editing feels like stepping into the distant past. Iterating faster lets me stay focused, save time, save money, and honestly just be happier every day while working.
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Remember reloading the same level over and over just to test small code changes? Me neither.
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I love that I can disable optimizations on individual files while I am debugging without needing to restart and compile the program.
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Live++ massively reduced my iteration times. No more quit-compile-restart cycle. And the cherry on top: Writing IMGUI code with Live++ is just amazingly interactive. 10/10, would hot-reload again ;)
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Live++ is a core pillar of my tool suite for optimizing critical code in both hobby and professional projects.
Hot-reloading code changes in mere milliseconds decreased iteration times tremendously. It lets me quickly try out several optimization approaches and compare their impact in a single performance capture session.
Any project that doesn't support this now feels like it's missing a fundamental part of the modern development process.
