Configure the Java agent for Play

There are three ways to run Contrast with Play:

  • Command line

    Adding options to the application's JVM is a little different for Play than for standard Java options syntax. For Play, options must be prepended with -J. Replace <YourContrastJarPath> with the path to your Contrast JAR file. Replace the server with your environment, and add this line to your Play startup command:

    -J-javaagent:<YourContrastJarPath>

  • Script

    If you run Play from a script calling the Play activator, use this command. Replace <YourContrastJarPath> with the path to your Contrast JAR file. Replace <YourJvmOptions> and <YourPlayOptions> with your JVM and your Play options. For example:

    activator -J-javaagent:<YourContrastJarPath> <YourJvmOptions> <YourPlayOptions> run

  • JAVA_OPTS

    Older versions of Play have a known defect where they don't properly pass through the -J options. To work around this, set JAVA_OPTS in the command line before calling activator. Replace <YourContrastJarPath> with the path to your Contrast JAR file and use:

    JAVA_OPTS="-javaagent:<YourContrastJarPath> $JAVA_OPTS" ./activator run
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