# Class Loaders
Introduction and tips for using plugin class loaders.
A separate class loader is used to load the classes of each plugin.
This allows each plugin to use a different library version, even if the same library is used by the IDE itself or by another plugin.
## Bundled Libraries
[Third-Party Software and Licenses](https://www.jetbrains.com/legal/third-party-software/) lists all bundled libraries and their versions for each product.
## Overriding IDE Dependencies
Gradle 7 introduced `implementation` scope, replacing `compile` scope.
For this setup, to use project defined dependency instead of the bundled IDE version, add the following snippet to your Gradle build script:
```kotlin
configurations.all {
resolutionStrategy.sortArtifacts(ResolutionStrategy.SortOrder.DEPENDENCY_FIRST)
}
```
```groovy
configurations.all {
resolutionStrategy.sortArtifacts(ResolutionStrategy.SortOrder.DEPENDENCY_FIRST)
}
```
## Classes from Plugin Dependencies
By default, the main IDE class loader loads classes that are not found in the plugin class loader.
However, in the [plugin.xml](plugin_configuration_file.md) file, you may use the [``](plugin_configuration_file.md#idea-plugin__depends) element to specify that a [plugin depends](plugin_dependencies.md) on one or more other plugins.
In this case, the class loaders of those plugins will be used for classes not found in the current plugin.
This allows a plugin to reference classes from other plugins.
## Using `ServiceLoader`
Some libraries use [`ServiceLoader`](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/index.html?java/util/ServiceLoader.html) to detect and load implementations.
For this to work in a plugin, the context class loader must be set to the plugin's classloader and restored afterwards with the original one around initialization code:
```java
Thread currentThread = Thread.currentThread();
ClassLoader originalClassLoader = currentThread.getContextClassLoader();
ClassLoader pluginClassLoader = this.getClass().getClassLoader();
try {
currentThread.setContextClassLoader(pluginClassLoader);
// code working with ServiceLoader here
} finally {
currentThread.setContextClassLoader(originalClassLoader);
}
```