Apache Hop 2.18 is available!
Apache Hop 2.18 has just been released, and it is one of the most significant updates the project has seen in a long time. 280 closed tickets, 21 contributors, including 10 first-timers, and three months of focused work that shows.
As a distribution built on Apache Hop, we follow every release closely. Here is what stands out in 2.18 and why we are excited about it.
Contributed by know.bi and the Putki team
Java 21: Apache Hop now requires Java 21 to run. This keeps the project on track with Java LTS support and sets a solid, modern foundation for the releases ahead.
Terminal support inside the IDE: A terminal widget is now available directly inside Hop GUI. You no longer need to leave the application to run command-line operations, everything is accessible from within the IDE.
Drill down into running pipelines and workflows: You can now drill down into actively running pipelines and workflows to inspect their internal state in real time. This brings a new level of visibility to live execution monitoring and makes troubleshooting significantly easier.
Rename and refactor metadata elements: You can now rename and refactor metadata elements and pipeline files directly from within Hop. A long-requested feature that makes maintaining larger projects considerably less painful.
Split the canvas into two windows: The pipeline canvas can now be split into two windows side by side. A practical improvement for anyone working with large or complex pipelines who needs to see two parts of a flow at the same time.
WebDAV filesystem support: WebDAV is now a supported filesystem in Hop, complete with its own metadata type. This adds another enterprise-grade storage option to an already extensive list of supported filesystems.
Complex XML output: A new advanced XML Output transform is available for scenarios where the standard XML Output transform isn't sufficient. More control, more flexibility, properly integrated.
New file types and syntax highlighting: Hop now supports opening and editing additional file types directly inside the UI, with syntax highlighting for XML, SQL, JSON, and more.
Multiple AWS S3 accounts: You can now configure and use multiple AWS S3 accounts within the same project. No more workarounds or credential juggling, each account is managed independently through the metadata framework.
The above features were contributed to Apache Hop 2.18 by Bart Maertens and Hans van Akelyen, engineers at know.bi and core members of know.bi and the Putki team.
More highlights from Apache Hop 2.18
Py4J gateway: Apache Hop now includes a Py4J gateway, allowing you to create and run pipelines directly using Python. This opens Hop to a whole new audience of data engineers and data scientists who want to orchestrate data workflows without leaving their Python environment.
MongoDB Query Language action: Native MongoDB Query Language (MQL) support has arrived. You can now execute MQL directly from a workflow action, making MongoDB a first-class citizen in your data orchestration pipelines.
New Git perspectives: Git integration has been significantly improved with new dedicated perspectives. Staging, committing, and reviewing changes is now a more natural part of the Hop workflow.
- Git commit panel: Stage and commit your changes without leaving Hop. The Git panel shows changed and unversioned files side by side, with a commit message field and one-click commit or commit-and-push.
- Git history and branch view: A full commit history with branch graph, tags, authors, and dates at a glance. Select any commit to inspect its diff on the right. Local branches, remote tracking, and tags are all visible in one organized panel.
- Visual diff view: Side-by-side text diff for any file in your history. Deletions in red, additions in green, making it easy to understand exactly what changed between two commits, directly inside Hop GUI.
XML cleanup: Extensive XML cleanup across transforms and actions: Kafka, Sort Rows, Stream Lookup, XSLT, WebService Lookup, PGP, FTP/SFTP, and more. Foundational work that improves long-term maintainability and consistency across the codebase.
Notable bug fixes
- PostgreSQL Bulk Loader boolean support
- Pipeline Executor issue when using multiple copies
- Process File transform with Azure Blob Storage
- Finished state for last action in workflow not updating correctly
- Parquet input with int96 timestamp
For the complete list of changes, see the Apache Hop 2.18 release notes.
Putki 2026.06 is coming
Apache Hop 2.18 is the foundation for Putki 2026.06, our next release, shipping this month.
Putki 2026.06 will include everything from Hop 2.18, together with the enterprise additions that make Putki production-ready out of the box. We will share the full details in the release announcement.
Get in touch if you want to know more in advance, or follow us on LinkedIn to stay updated.
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