Add support for remembering last-used directory in file attachment dialog by Kaan0029 · Pull Request #12797 · JabRef/jabref

Kaan0029 · 2025-03-22T11:15:46Z

Previously, the file chooser always opened in the default working directory, even if the user had just selected a different folder. This change stores the last-used folder in preferences and reuses it the next time a file is attached to a BibEntry.

Closes #12554

This change:

Adds a lastUsedDirectory field to FilePreferences
Modifies AttachFileAction to store and retrieve the last-used directory
Improves user experience by remembering recently used folders across attachment actions

Manual Testing

This feature was manually tested:

Attached a file → folder was remembered
Restarted JabRef → folder persisted and reopened correctly
No existing behavior was broken

No test case added because this is a UI feature, and the file dialog is not easily mockable.

Screenshot

Mandatory checks

I own the copyright of the code submitted and I license it under the MIT license
Change in CHANGELOG.md described in a way that is understandable for the average user (if change is visible to the user)
[/] Tests created for changes (if applicable)
Manually tested changed features in running JabRef (always required)
Screenshots added in PR description (if change is visible to the user)
[/] Checked developer's documentation: Is the information available and up to date? If not, I outlined it in this pull request.
[/] Checked documentation: Is the information available and up to date? If not, I created an issue at https://github.com/JabRef/user-documentation/issues or, even better, I submitted a pull request to the documentation repository.

Previously, the file chooser always opened in the default working directory, even if the user had just selected a different folder. This change stores the last-used folder in preferences and reuses it the next time a file is attached to a BibEntry. Fixes: JabRef#12554

calixtus · 2025-03-22T14:42:38Z

Maybe this should be configurable. If i look at other office applications, like word, it opens the folder always on documents folder or for the working directory. A simple pref option "remember last folder a file was opened" or sthg.
Wdyt @JabRef/developers ?

Kaan0029 · 2025-03-23T00:00:04Z

@calixtus Thanks for the feedback! That sounds like a really good idea, as I'm sure some users prefer always starting in the same directory, while others would benefit from remembering the last one.

Do you think it might also make sense to add an additional setting to remember the last-used directory per library? For example, when I'm working on two different projects (or using two different .bib libraries simultaneously), it could be more helpful if each library remembered its own last-used folder. Meanwhile, for users who always attach files from the same place (e.g., Downloads), the default behavior would still be sufficient. Curious what you (and others) think!

koppor · 2025-03-23T18:43:08Z

i think, the setting should go into "Linked files".

I think, two preferencesd are enough

Open file explorer in files directory
Open file explorer in last opened directory

Default should be the first one as indicated

For the concrete wording, please check the other strings in JabRef JabRef_en.properties

InAnYan · 2025-03-25T16:09:59Z

                getBoolean(TRASH_INSTEAD_OF_DELETE, moveToTrashSupported()),
-                getBoolean(KEEP_DOWNLOAD_URL));
+                getBoolean(KEEP_DOWNLOAD_URL),
+                getPath(LAST_USED_DIRECTORY, getDefaultPath()));


Default values are handled in a different way in JabRef.

There is a default mapping somewhere in JabRefCliPreferences.java

Or you have to specify default there because of some AWT initialization (as described in comment above)?

Yes. We do defaults.put(preference, defaultValue) in the constructor for most preferences.
Some of these are using impromptu fallbacks - and their design (for the matter of style/neatness or maybe simply as a result of non-uniformity) is such that we do getProperty(PREFERENCE, defaultFunction()) instead of defaults.put and getProperty(PREFERENCE).
Example - getPath expects a second parameter (default) of type Path (not String), whereas getBoolean has an implementation which does not.

Delayed notice: I implemented the requested changes described here ~3 days ago leveraging defaults.put() as suggested.

InAnYan · 2025-03-25T16:11:37Z


-        Path workingDirectory = databaseContext.getFirstExistingFileDir(filePreferences)
-                                               .orElse(filePreferences.getWorkingDirectory());
+        Path workingDirectory = Optional.ofNullable(filePreferences.getLastUsedDirectory())


Why ofNullable is used here?

If last user directory can be empty, then it should be Optional. (BTW, there is a special property class for this, something like OptionalObjectProperty)

Here, the preference mentioned in #12797 (comment) comes into play. Thus, the highlighted code should be adapted accordingly.

The lastUsedDirectory can fall back to

databaseContext.getFirstExistingFileDir(filePreferences) .orElse(filePreferences.getWorkingDirectory());

Note: This comment is a delayed response from me (because I implemented the requested changes described here ~3 days ago)
I tackled the issues suggested here. Since a preference determined by user was suggested, I added conditionals. ofNullable initially solved a bug, so I had added it. Should have only been a provisional solution but I changed that now.

- Added preference options to choose between opening file explorer in: * Files directory (default) * Last opened directory - Updated AttachFileAction to use the selected preference - Added localization strings for the new UI options - Added necessary view model bindings This enhancement gives users control over where the file dialog opens when attaching files, making the workflow more customizable. See: [#XXXX](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues/XXXX)

subhramit

Please address the redundancy in defaults.

subhramit · 2025-04-07T02:46:09Z

+                getBoolean(OPEN_FILE_EXPLORER_IN_FILE_DIRECTORY, Boolean.TRUE),
+                getBoolean(OPEN_FILE_EXPLORER_IN_LAST_USED_DIRECTORY, Boolean.FALSE));


You have already put defaults for these two, so no utility of passing them here.

Thanks for the notice! I deleted them. (as part of a commit from around 3 days ago so this is a delayed comment response by me)

subhramit · 2025-04-07T02:50:22Z

+    private final BooleanProperty openFileExplorerInFileDirectory = new SimpleBooleanProperty(true);
+    private final BooleanProperty openFileExplorerInLastUsedDirectory = new SimpleBooleanProperty(false);


Again, no need of passing defaults in the constructor here, you have already handled them in JabRefCliPreferences.
See how the other properties are handled ^

Thanks, I got rid of the parameters!

subhramit · 2025-04-07T03:02:46Z

GitHub keeps messing up the order of review comments somehow these days. Fixed them via edits.

…sed-directory

trag-bot · 2025-04-07T04:02:37Z

+    public Path getLastUsedDirectory() {
+        return lastUsedDirectory.get();
+    }


New public methods should not return null. Consider using Optional to avoid returning null and improve null safety.

False positive

Siedlerchr · 2025-04-09T19:03:22Z

Please fix the submodules, then it's fine https://devdocs.jabref.org/code-howtos/faq.html#submodules

…d-directory

koppor · 2025-04-10T17:17:36Z

-                getInternalPreferences().getUserAndHost(),
+        getInternalPreferences().getUserAndHost(),


Ah, this indent is off - I will fix it.

Obsolete

trag-bot · 2025-04-10T17:20:46Z

@trag-bot didn't find any issues in the code! ✅✨

…alog (JabRef#12797) * Add support for remembering last-used directory for file attachments Previously, the file chooser always opened in the default working directory, even if the user had just selected a different folder. This change stores the last-used folder in preferences and reuses it the next time a file is attached to a BibEntry. Fixes: JabRef#12554 * Add option to configure file explorer directory in preferences - Added preference options to choose between opening file explorer in: * Files directory (default) * Last opened directory - Updated AttachFileAction to use the selected preference - Added localization strings for the new UI options - Added necessary view model bindings This enhancement gives users control over where the file dialog opens when attaching files, making the workflow more customizable. See: [#XXXX](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues/XXXX) * Remove redundant default values after merging with main * Fix submodules * Fix csl-styles * Fix indent --------- Co-authored-by: Oliver Kopp <kopp.dev@gmail.com>

InAnYan previously requested changes Mar 25, 2025

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trag-bot Bot reviewed Apr 6, 2025

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Comment thread src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/linkedfile/AttachFileAction.java

trag-bot Bot reviewed Apr 6, 2025

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Comment thread src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/preferences/linkedfiles/LinkedFilesTab.java

Merge branch 'main' into add-remember-last-used-directory

615b74a

subhramit requested changes Apr 7, 2025

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Kaan0029 added 2 commits April 6, 2025 23:44

Merge remote-tracking branch 'upstream/main' into add-remember-last-u…

9c601f6

…sed-directory

Remove redundant default values after merging with main

06d67e1

trag-bot Bot reviewed Apr 7, 2025

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Siedlerchr previously approved these changes Apr 9, 2025

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Siedlerchr added the status: ready-for-review Pull Requests that are ready to be reviewed by the maintainers label Apr 9, 2025

Kaan0029 and others added 3 commits April 9, 2025 18:18

Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/main' into add-remember-last-use…

cce7163

…d-directory

Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/main' into add-remember-last-use…

da41be1

…d-directory

Fix submodules

e6da93a

koppor dismissed Siedlerchr’s stale review via e6da93a April 10, 2025 17:16

Fix csl-styles

8e28f28

koppor reviewed Apr 10, 2025

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subhramit previously approved these changes Apr 10, 2025

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Fix indent

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koppor dismissed subhramit’s stale review via 4badfbd April 10, 2025 17:20

koppor approved these changes Apr 10, 2025

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subhramit approved these changes Apr 10, 2025

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koppor enabled auto-merge April 10, 2025 17:20

koppor added this pull request to the merge queue Apr 10, 2025

Merged via the queue into JabRef:main with commit b610ec9 Apr 10, 2025

		getBoolean(OPEN_FILE_EXPLORER_IN_FILE_DIRECTORY, Boolean.TRUE),
		getBoolean(OPEN_FILE_EXPLORER_IN_LAST_USED_DIRECTORY, Boolean.FALSE));

		private final BooleanProperty openFileExplorerInFileDirectory = new SimpleBooleanProperty(true);
		private final BooleanProperty openFileExplorerInLastUsedDirectory = new SimpleBooleanProperty(false);

		getInternalPreferences().getUserAndHost(),
		getInternalPreferences().getUserAndHost(),

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Kaan0029 commented Mar 22, 2025

Manual Testing

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calixtus commented Mar 22, 2025

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subhramit commented Apr 7, 2025

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