# Setting up dev environment for JabRef

**URL:** <https://discourse.jabref.org/t/setting-up-dev-environment-for-jabref/1862>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [January 3, 2020, 4:05am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/setting-up-dev-environment-for-jabref/1862 "2020-01-03T04:05:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kdaud](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/kdaud/32/624_2.png) [@kdaud](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/kdaud)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 4:05am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/setting-up-dev-environment-for-jabref/1862/1 "2020-01-03T04:05:33Z")

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👁 I read through the [community guidelines](https://discourse.jabref.org/guidelines) and really felt great to contribute to this collaborative community. However,I didn’t find information on _ **how to set up dev environment for JabRef** _. Any resource to help me go over the blocker!  
cc:@koppor, @Siedlerchr, @tobiasdiez

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**Author:** ![koppor](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/koppor/32/5_2.png) [@koppor](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/koppor)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 7:21am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/setting-up-dev-environment-for-jabref/1862/2 "2020-01-03T07:21:06Z")

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Wonderful good day and welcome to JabRef!

Did you find the source repository of JabRef? It is [https://github.com/JabRef/jabref](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref). When you scroll down there, you’ll see “Contributing”. When you scroll down there, you’ll read following:

If you want a step-by-step walk-through on how to set-up your workspace, please check [this guideline](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/wiki/Guidelines-for-setting-up-a-local-workspace).

Does the link [https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/wiki/Guidelines-for-setting-up-a-local-workspace](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/wiki/Guidelines-for-setting-up-a-local-workspace) work on your side?

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**Author:** ![kdaud](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/kdaud/32/624_2.png) [@kdaud](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/kdaud)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 9:39am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/setting-up-dev-environment-for-jabref/1862/3 "2020-01-03T09:39:47Z")

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Have gone through the resources and were of great help. Have already got a local copy of the source code as directed by the wiki.  
  
I noticed some exception on step-by-step installation guide, I  
think we need to update that wiki page because at Java Installation  
kit says should be 13 version and in the IDE configurations for  
Intellij says "Choose Java 12 and for eclipse says “Choose Java 11”  
_Actually I can volunteer in updating this wiki page if given a hint_  
_on how to accomplish the task_.  
Thanks @koppor

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**Author:** ![koppor](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/koppor/32/5_2.png) [@koppor](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/koppor)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 9:53am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/setting-up-dev-environment-for-jabref/1862/4 "2020-01-03T09:53:13Z")

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Thank you for offering the help. I will move the wiki to the git repo, then the normal pull request procedure will work.

Having your IDE ready now will surely provide a good start.

Do you have experience with JabRef? - We could also need help in updating the user documentation at [https://docs.jabref.org](https://docs.jabref.org)

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**Author:** ![kdaud](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/kdaud/32/624_2.png) [@kdaud](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/kdaud)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 10:33am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/setting-up-dev-environment-for-jabref/1862/6 "2020-01-03T10:33:33Z")

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> [@koppor](#):
>
> Thank you for offering the help. I will move the wiki to the git repo, then the normal pull request procedure will work.
> 
> Having your IDE ready now will surely provide a good start.
> 
> Do you have experience with JabRef? - We could also need help in updating the user documentation at [https://docs.jabref.org](https://docs.jabref.org)

Am absolutely available to volunteer and when the wiki is ready on the repo, I will volunteer to update it and make pull request!.   
`Experience with JabRef: ` Have taken time to read 👁 through the current and the past JabRef Talk posts and am getting familiar with the community and its work-flow. _Just want to know whether we have a demo around that I can reach out!_   
 cc: @koppor @tobiasdiez

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**Author:** ![kdaud](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/kdaud/32/624_2.png) [@kdaud](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/kdaud)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 5:50pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/setting-up-dev-environment-for-jabref/1862/7 "2020-01-04T17:50:02Z")

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If I can be notified after moving the wiki to the repo will be great so that I volunteer ✍ updating it .   
cc: @koppor

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**Author:** ![koppor](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/koppor/32/5_2.png) [@koppor](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/koppor)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 6:09pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/setting-up-dev-environment-for-jabref/1862/8 "2020-01-04T18:09:11Z")

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I will.

Meanwhile: Did you find a task to work on (good-first-issue label) or should we search for something together? Something more UI related or something more backend-related?

We could need help at [https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues/5804](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues/5804). Would that be something for you or is that too complicated?

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**Author:** ![kdaud](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/kdaud/32/624_2.png) [@kdaud](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/kdaud)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 6:31pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/setting-up-dev-environment-for-jabref/1862/9 "2020-01-04T18:31:04Z")

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Not yet as per now but am taking some time to read through my local copy of the source code I forked from [here](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref) at the master branch to really understand the algorithms behind the seen. Hopefully very soon am going to embark on tasks that are claimable and begin working on them! @koppor

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**Author:** ![koppor](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/koppor/32/5_2.png) [@koppor](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/koppor)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 8:38pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/setting-up-dev-environment-for-jabref/1862/10 "2020-01-04T20:38:02Z")

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I would assume that the whole source code is too much. We have so many features there with many algorithms. For example, the duplicate detection is very different from the algorithms used at fetching.

Maybe, it would be a good idea to understand how the ACM Fetcher works - and the whole fetcher infrastructure. With that knowledge, you can update the ACM Fetcher.

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**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 11:27pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/setting-up-dev-environment-for-jabref/1862/11 "2020-01-04T23:27:52Z")

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Just take an issue, for example the fetcher, check the relevant classes and understand them. The fetcher are a good starting point as you can easily test them  
Nobody of us knows the complete codebase or how every feature really works.

In general, I suggest going through the high level architecture to get an idea how the code is structured

> **[JabRef/jabref](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/wiki)**
>
> Graphical Java application for managing BibTeX and biblatex (.bib) databases - JabRef/jabref

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**Author:** ![Abhijitb](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/abhijitb/32/2536_2.png) [@Abhijitb](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Abhijitb)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 12:02pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/setting-up-dev-environment-for-jabref/1862/13 "2026-03-10T12:02:16Z")

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I have done setup in macboook .But I am facing problem in exceuting [Advanced: Build and run using IntelliJ IDEA | Developer Documentation](https://devdocs.jabref.org/getting-into-the-code/guidelines-for-setting-up-a-local-workspace/intellij-89-run-with-intellij.html) I am not getting reelevant files mentioned below:-

[![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/jabref/original/2X/d/d30d02042b88246530fa9418c4ca9fcc2087f1ce.png)](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/jabref/original/2X/d/d30d02042b88246530fa9418c4ca9fcc2087f1ce.png "image")

2.Also ,after setup , I want to know how to check all the component are working properly or test during development.

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**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 12:14pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/setting-up-dev-environment-for-jabref/1862/14 "2026-03-10T12:14:45Z")

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Hi, just stick to the gradle based approach. The advanced setup is not really a suitable approach for newcomers