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

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 no files are passed, the last opened files are served. If that list is also empty, the file src/main/resources/org/jabref/http/server/http-server-demo.bib is served.

Starting with gradle 

./gradlew run :jabsrv:run

The GUI is also started. Just close it.

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.

Developing with IntelliJ

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

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.