feat: send bibtex to JabRef via HTTP and Native Messaging as fallback

Author: tobiasdiez

background.js

@@ -120,25 +120,99 @@ async function evalInTab(tabsId, code) {
   }
 }
 
+function openErrorPage(message, details = "", stacktrace = "") {
+  browser.tabs.create({
+    url:
+      "/data/error.html?message=" +
+      encodeURIComponent(message) +
+      "&details=" +
+      encodeURIComponent(details ?? "") +
+      "&stacktrace=" +
+      encodeURIComponent(stacktrace ?? ""),
+  });
+}
+
+async function getBaseUrl() {
+  const settings = await browser.storage.sync.get({ httpPort: 23119 });
+  return `http://localhost:${settings.httpPort}/`;
+}
+
+async function sendBibEntryHttp(bibtex) {
+  const baseUrl = await getBaseUrl();
+
+  const health = await fetch(baseUrl, { method: "GET", cache: "no-store" });
+  if (!(health.ok || health.status === 404)) {
+    throw new Error(`JabRef HTTP endpoint unavailable (${health.status})`);
+  }
+
+  const resp = await fetch(baseUrl + "libraries/current/entries", {
+    method: "POST",
+    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/x-bibtex" },
+    body: bibtex,
+  });
+
+  if (!resp.ok) {
+    const body = await resp.text().catch(() => "");
+    throw new Error(`HTTP ${resp.status}${body ? `: ${body}` : ""}`);
+  }
+}
+
+async function sendBibEntryNative(bibtex) {
+  const response = await browser.runtime.sendNativeMessage("org.jabref.jabref", {
+    text: bibtex,
+  });
+  if (response?.message === "ok") {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (response?.message === "error") {
+    console.error(
+      `JabRef: Error connecting to JabRef: '${response.output}' at '${response.stacktrace}'`,
+    );
+    handleError(response.output, "", response.stacktrace);
+  }
+
+  console.error(
+    `JabRef: Error connecting to JabRef: '${response.message}' with details '${response.output}' at '${response.stacktrace}'`,
+  );
+  handleError(response.message, response.output, response.stacktrace);
+}
+
+async function sendBibTexToJabRef(bibtex) {
+  await browser.runtime.sendMessage({ onSendToJabRef: "sendToJabRefStarted" });
+  console.log("JabRef: Send BibTeX to JabRef: %o", bibtex);
+
+  try {
+    await sendBibEntryHttp(bibtex);
+    await browser.runtime.sendMessage({ popupClose: "close" });
+    return;
+  } catch (httpError) {
+    console.warn("JabRef: HTTP send failed, falling back to native messaging", httpError);
+  }
+
+  await sendBibEntryNative(bibtex);
+  await browser.runtime.sendMessage({ popupClose: "close" });
+}
+
 function saveAsWebpage(tab) {
   var title = tab.title;
   var url = tab.url;
-  var date = new Date().toISODate();
+  var date = new Date().toISOString();
 
   // Construct a manual Bibtex Entry for the webpage
   var bibtexString = `@misc{,\
 		title={${title}},\
 		url = {${url}},\
 		urlDate={${date}},\
 		}`;
-  Zotero.Connector.sendBibTexToJabRef(bibtexString);
+  sendBibTexToJabRef(bibtexString);
 }
 
 function savePdf(tab) {
   var title = tab.title.replace(".pdf", "");
   var url = tab.url;
   var urlEscaped = tab.url.replace(":", "\\:");
-  var date = new Date().toISODate();
+  var date = new Date().toISOString();
 
   // Construct a manual Bibtex Entry for the PDF
   var bibtexString = `@misc{,\
@@ -147,7 +221,7 @@ function savePdf(tab) {
 		url = {${url}},\
 		urlDate={${date}},\
 		}`;
-  Zotero.Connector.sendBibTexToJabRef(bibtexString);
+  sendBibTexToJabRef(bibtexString);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -308,7 +382,7 @@ browser.runtime.onMessage.addListener(async function (message, sender, _sendResp
     } else if (message.type === "offscreenResult") {
       console.debug("JabRef: offscreenResult in background.js: %o", message);
       if (message.error) {
-        await browser.runtime.sendMessage({ type: "offscreenResult", url, error: message.error });
+        console.error("JabRef: Error in offscreen translator execution", message.error);
         return;
       }
       const { url, items } = message;
@@ -317,6 +391,7 @@ browser.runtime.onMessage.addListener(async function (message, sender, _sendResp
       await browser.runtime.sendMessage({ onConvertToBibtex: "convertStarted" });
       const bib = await exportItems(items, conversionMode);
       console.debug("JabRef: Exported BibTeX: %o", bib);
+      await sendBibTexToJabRef(bib);
     } else if (message.eval) {
       console.debug("JabRef: eval in background.js: %o", JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(message.eval)));
       return evalInTab(sender.tab.id, message.eval);

data/progressPanel.js

@@ -3,11 +3,8 @@ if (typeof browser === "undefined" && typeof chrome !== "undefined") {
   globalThis.browser = chrome;
 }
 
-var mainList = document.getElementById("itemList");
-
-var jabrefBaseUrlPromise = null;
-
-browser.runtime.onMessage.addListener(function (message, sender, sendResponse) {
+browser.runtime.onMessage.addListener(function (message, _sender, _sendResponse) {
+  console.debug("JabRef: Received message in popup:", message);
   if (message.popupClose) {
     // The popup should be closed
     setTimeout(function () {
@@ -96,20 +93,6 @@ async function onPopupOpened() {
   }
 }
 
-// Listen for offscreen results
-browser.runtime.onMessage.addListener((msg) => {
-  if (!msg || msg.type !== "offscreenResult") return;
-  const error = msg.error;
-  const items = msg.items;
-  if (error) {
-    appendLog(`Error: ${error}`);
-    return;
-  }
-  appendLog(`Received result for ${msg.url}`);
-  // Send to JabRef automatically
-  sendBibEntry(items);
-});
-
 function appendLog(text) {
   const log = document.getElementById("log");
   if (!log) return;
@@ -135,80 +118,9 @@ function appendLog(text) {
   log.scrollTop = log.scrollHeight;
 }
 
-async function getBaseUrl() {
-  const settings = await browser.storage.sync.get({ httpPort: 23119 });
-  return `http://localhost:${settings.httpPort}/`;
-}
-
-/* Try to connect to JabRef via HTTP */
-async function connectToJabRef() {
-  const url = await getBaseUrl();
-  appendLog(`Checking JabRef at ${url}...`, "info");
-  try {
-    // Try a simple GET to the base URL to detect availability.
-    const resp = await fetch(url, { method: "GET", cache: "no-store" });
-    if (resp && (resp.ok || resp.status === 404)) {
-      appendLog("JabRef reachable (HTTP)", "success");
-      return url;
-    } else {
-      appendLog(`JabRef responded with status ${resp.status}`, "warning");
-      return null;
-    }
-  } catch (error) {
-    appendLog(`Connection failed: ${error && error.message ? error.message : error}`, "error");
-    console.error("HTTP connection error:", error);
-    return null;
-  }
-}
-
-// Send BibTeX entry to JabRef
-async function sendBibEntry(bibEntry) {
-  if (!bibEntry) {
-    appendLog("BibTeX entry is empty", "error");
-    return;
-  }
-  const url = (await jabrefBaseUrlPromise) + "libraries/current/entries";
-  appendLog(`Sending BibTeX entry to JabRef at ${url}...`, "info");
-
-  if (!bibEntry.startsWith("@")) {
-    appendLog("BibTeX entry does not start with '@'", "error");
-    return;
-  }
-
-  try {
-    console.log("Sending to JabRef (HTTP POST):", bibEntry);
-
-    const resp = await fetch(url, {
-      method: "POST",
-      headers: { "Content-Type": "application/x-bibtex" },
-      body: bibEntry,
-    });
-
-    if (resp.ok) {
-      appendLog("BibTeX entry sent successfully!", "success");
-      appendLog(`Sent: ${bibEntry.substring(0, 50)}...`, "info");
-    } else {
-      let text;
-      try {
-        text = await resp.text();
-      } catch (e) {
-        text = String(e);
-      }
-      appendLog(`Failed to send (HTTP ${resp.status}): ${text}`, "error");
-      console.error("HTTP send failed", resp.status, text);
-    }
-  } catch (error) {
-    appendLog(`Failed to send: ${error && error.message ? error.message : error}`, "error");
-    console.error("Send error:", error);
-  }
-}
-
 document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", async () => {
   console.log("JabRef: Popup opened");
 
-  // Try to auto-connect to JabRef via HTTP when popup opens
-  jabrefBaseUrlPromise = connectToJabRef();
-
   // Run translators for the active tab
   onPopupOpened();
 });