HTTP Server

JabRef has a built-in http server. The source is located in the project jabsrv.

The resource for a library is implemented at org.jabref.http.server.LibraryResource.

Start http server

Starting with IntelliJ

The class starting the server is located in the project jabsrv-cli and is called org.jabref.http.server.cli.ServerCli.

Test files to server can be passed as arguments. If that list is also empty, the file src/main/resources/org/jabref/http/server/http-server-demo.bib is served.

Starting with JBang

In case you want to interact only with the http server and do not want to set up or run IntelliJ, JBang can be used.

In the repository root, run following command:

jbang .jbang/JabSrvLauncher.java

JBang also offers running without explicit installation, if you have node installed (and WSL available in the case of Windows):

npx @jbangdev/jbang .jbang/JabSrvLauncher.java

Starting with gradle 

./gradlew run :jabsrv:run

Gradle output:

> Task :jabsrv:run
2025-05-12 11:52:57 [main] org.glassfish.grizzly.http.server.NetworkListener.start()
INFO: Started listener bound to [localhost:6050]
2025-05-12 11:52:57 [main] org.glassfish.grizzly.http.server.HttpServer.start()
INFO: [HttpServer] Started.
JabSrv started.
Stop JabSrv using Ctrl+C
<============-> 96% EXECUTING [43s]
> :jabsrv:run

IntelliJ output, if org.jabref.http.server.ServerCli#main is executed:

DEBUG: Starting server...
2023-04-22 11:44:59 [ForkJoinPool.commonPool-worker-1] org.glassfish.grizzly.http.server.NetworkListener.start()
INFO: Started listener bound to [localhost:6051]
2023-04-22 11:44:59 [ForkJoinPool.commonPool-worker-1] org.glassfish.grizzly.http.server.HttpServer.start()
INFO: [HttpServer] Started.
2023-04-22 11:44:59 [ForkJoinPool.commonPool-worker-1] org.jabref.http.server.ServerCli.lambda$startServer$4()
DEBUG: Server started.

Served libraries

The last opened libraries are served. demo serves Chocolate.bib. Additional libraries can be served by passing them as arguments.

Developing with IntelliJ

IntelliJ Ultimate offers a Markdown-based http-client. You need to open the file jabsrv/src/test/rest-api.http. Then, there are play buttons appearing for interacting with the server.

In case you want to debug on Windows, you need to choose “WSL” as the target for the debugger (“Run on”) to avoid “command line too long” errors.

Get SSL Working

When interacting with the Microsoft Word AddIn, a SSL-based connection is required. The Word-AddIn is currentely under development.

(Based on https://stackoverflow.com/a/57511038/873282)

Howto for Windows - other operating systems work similar:

  1. As admin choco install mkcert
  2. As admin: mkcert -install
  3. cd %APPDATA%\..\local\org.jabref\jabref\ssl
  4. mkcert -pkcs12 jabref.desktop jabref localhost 127.0.0.1 ::1
  5. Rename the file to server.p12

Note: If you do not do this, you get following error message:

Could not find server key store C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\org.jabref\jabref\ssl\server.p12.