Add generic CSV export filter by joaohmalves · Pull Request #15838 · JabRef/jabref

joaohmalves · 2026-05-27T06:34:23Z

Adds a new CSV export filter that exports all standard BibTeX fields as-is, with a header row.

Related issues and pull requests

PR Description

Adds a new generic CSV export filter based on the OpenOffice CSV layout.
The filter exports all standard BibTeX fields as-is with a header row,
making it suitable for use in spreadsheet applications like Excel or
LibreOffice Calc. The exporter is registered in ExporterFactory and
includes layout files and tests.

Steps to test

 1. Open JabRef and load a library with some entries
 2. Go to File → Export
 3. Select "CSV" as the export format
 4. Open the exported file in Excel or LibreOffice Calc
 5. Verify the first row contains the headers and subsequent rows contain entry data

AI usage

 Claude Sonnet 4.6 (claude-sonnet-4-6)

Checklist

I own the copyright of the code submitted and I license it under the MIT license
If AI tools were used, I disclosed them in the "AI usage" section and reviewed, understood, and take full ownership of all AI-generated code
I manually tested my changes in running JabRef (always required)
I added JUnit tests for changes (if applicable)
[/] I added screenshots in the PR description (if change is visible to the user)
[/] I added a screenshot in the PR description showing a library with a single entry with me as author and as title the issue number
I described the change in CHANGELOG.md in a way that can be understood by the average user (if change is visible to the user)
[/] I checked the user documentation for up to dateness and submitted a pull request to our user documentation repository

Adds a new CSV export filter that exports all standard BibTeX fields as-is, with a header row. Fixes JabRef#15711

github-actions · 2026-05-27T06:34:36Z

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qodo-free-for-open-source-projects · 2026-05-27T06:34:50Z

Review Summary by Qodo

Add generic CSV export filter for BibTeX entries

✨ Enhancement

Walkthroughs

Description

• Adds generic CSV export filter for standard BibTeX fields
• Registers new "CSV" exporter in ExporterFactory
• Includes layout files with header row and field formatting
• Adds comprehensive unit tests for export functionality

Diagram

flowchart LR
  A["ExporterFactory"] -->|registers| B["CSV Exporter"]
  B -->|uses| C["csv.begin.layout"]
  B -->|uses| D["csv.layout"]
  E["GenericCsvExportFormatTest"] -->|tests| B
  B -->|exports to| F["CSV File with Headers"]

File Changes

1. jablib/src/main/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/ExporterFactory.java ✨ Enhancement +1/-0

Register generic CSV exporter in factory
• Registers new generic "CSV" exporter with TemplateExporter
• Added alongside existing "OpenOffice/LibreOffice CSV" exporter
• Uses StandardFileType.CSV and default save order configuration
jablib/src/main/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/ExporterFactory.java

2. jablib/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/GenericCsvExportFormatTest.java 🧪 Tests +112/-0

Add comprehensive CSV export format tests
• Tests CSV export with basic fields (author, title, year)
• Tests export with multiple entries
• Tests empty entry list handling
• Verifies header row contains all standard BibTeX fields
jablib/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/GenericCsvExportFormatTest.java

3. jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/README 📝 Documentation +11/-0

Add CSV export filter documentation
• Documents generic CSV export filter purpose and usage
• Lists all standard BibTeX fields included as columns
• Describes intended use in spreadsheet applications
jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/README

View more (3)

4. jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/csv.begin.layout ⚙️ Configuration changes +1/-0

Define CSV header row layout
• Defines CSV header row with all standard BibTeX field names
• Includes 26 fields from Citation Key to ISSN
• Properly quoted field names for CSV compatibility
jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/csv.begin.layout

5. jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/csv.layout ⚙️ Configuration changes +1/-0

Define CSV data row layout template
• Defines CSV data row format with field placeholders
• Uses ReplaceWithEscapedDoubleQuotes formatter for proper escaping
• Maps all standard BibTeX fields to CSV columns
jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/csv.layout

6. CHANGELOG.md 📝 Documentation +1/-0

Document CSV export filter addition

• Documents new generic CSV export filter feature
• References issue #15711
• Added to unreleased changes section

CHANGELOG.md

qodo-free-for-open-source-projects · 2026-05-27T06:34:51Z

Code Review by Qodo

🐞 Bugs (0) 📘 Rule violations (0) 📎 Requirement gaps (0)

1. csv.begin.layout missing Chapter header ✓ Resolved 📎 Requirement gap ≡ Correctness

Description

The new CSV header row omits standard BibTeX fields such as chapter and annote, so the exported
CSV cannot include headers for all standard fields as required. This makes the export incomplete and
inconsistent with the stated objective.

Code

jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/csv.begin.layout[1]

Evidence
PR Compliance ID 3 requires headers for all standard fields, but csv.begin.layout only lists a
subset and does not contain headers like Chapter/Annote. StandardField defines ANNOTE and
CHAPTER as standard fields, demonstrating the header is incomplete.
Update csv.begin.layout to include headers for all standard fields
jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/csv.begin.layout[1-1]
jablib/src/main/java/org/jabref/model/entry/field/StandardField.java[14-35]

Agent prompt

The issue below was found during a code review. Follow the provided context and guidance below and implement a solution

## Issue description
The CSV header template does not include headers for all standard BibTeX fields (e.g., `chapter`, `annote`). This violates the requirement that `csv.begin.layout` emits a complete header row for all standard fields.
## Issue Context
`StandardField` includes standard BibTeX fields like `ANNOTE` and `CHAPTER`, but the current `csv.begin.layout` header line does not include corresponding columns.
## Fix Focus Areas
- jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/csv.begin.layout[1-1]
- jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/csv.layout[1-1]

ⓘ Copy this prompt and use it to remediate the issue with your preferred AI generation tools

2. GenericCsvExportFormatTest lacks key test ✓ Resolved 📎 Requirement gap ☼ Reliability

Description

The added tests do not verify the full required header set and do not assert citation key export
behavior, so they don’t validate the key requirements of the new CSV exporter. This reduces
regression protection for the new export format.

Code

jablib/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/GenericCsvExportFormatTest.java[R93-111]

Evidence
PR Compliance ID 6 requires tests asserting expected output including complete headers and citation
key behavior. The current tests only check a small subset of header labels and never set/assert a
citation key in exported output.
Add automated test coverage for the new CSV export style
jablib/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/GenericCsvExportFormatTest.java[49-62]
jablib/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/GenericCsvExportFormatTest.java[93-111]

Agent prompt

The issue below was found during a code review. Follow the provided context and guidance below and implement a solution

## Issue description
The new CSV exporter tests only check that the header contains a handful of substrings and never assert citation key output behavior. The compliance requirement expects automated tests to validate headers (for all standard fields) and citation key behavior.
## Issue Context
`performExportContainsAllStandardFieldHeaders` currently asserts only a few header fragments, and the tests never set a citation key (e.g., via `withCitationKey(...)`) to validate how it is exported.
## Fix Focus Areas
- jablib/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/GenericCsvExportFormatTest.java[46-62]
- jablib/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/GenericCsvExportFormatTest.java[93-111]

ⓘ Copy this prompt and use it to remediate the issue with your preferred AI generation tools

3. ~~Unescaped quotes in CSV~~ ✓ Resolved 🐞 Bug ≡ Correctness

Description

The new csv.layout wraps most fields in double quotes but does not escape embedded " characters
for those fields, producing malformed CSV when values contain quotes. This can break spreadsheet
import and can also violate the template README’s “one row per entry” promise when fields contain
line breaks.

Code

jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/csv.layout[1]

Evidence
csv.layout only applies the CSV-quote escaping formatter to citationkey; other fields are quoted
but not escaped, so embedded quotes will terminate the CSV field early. The formatter
ReplaceWithEscapedDoubleQuotes is implemented to double quotes (the standard CSV escaping). The
template README also states “one row per entry”, but the new template does not replace newlines in
any fields (unlike the existing OpenOffice CSV template which explicitly normalizes abstract).
jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/csv.layout[1-1]
jablib/src/main/java/org/jabref/logic/layout/format/ReplaceWithEscapedDoubleQuotes.java[5-18]
jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/README[1-4]
jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/openoffice/openoffice-csv.layout[1-1]

Agent prompt

The issue below was found during a code review. Follow the provided context and guidance below and implement a solution

## Issue description
The new generic CSV template quotes values (e.g., `"\author"`) but does not apply CSV escaping for embedded double quotes (and does not normalize newlines), so exported CSV can be malformed or span multiple lines per entry.
### Issue Context
CSV requires embedded `"` inside quoted fields to be escaped as `""`. JabRef already has `ReplaceWithEscapedDoubleQuotes` for exactly this purpose, but the new template only applies it to `\citationkey`.
### Fix Focus Areas
- jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/csv.layout[1-1]
- jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/README[1-4]
- jablib/src/main/java/org/jabref/logic/layout/format/ReplaceWithEscapedDoubleQuotes.java[5-18]
### Suggested fix
- Wrap *each* exported field in a formatter chain that at least applies `ReplaceWithEscapedDoubleQuotes` (and ideally also replaces `\n` with a space to keep one row per entry), e.g.:
- `"\format[ReplaceWithEscapedDoubleQuotes]{\author}"`
- or `"\format[Replace(\n, ),ReplaceWithEscapedDoubleQuotes]{\abstract}"`
- Consider also quoting/escaping the citation key consistently (currently it is escaped but not quoted).
- Add/extend a unit test to include a field value containing a double quote (and optionally a newline) and assert the output is valid (e.g., contains doubled quotes).

ⓘ Copy this prompt and use it to remediate the issue with your preferred AI generation tools

4. ~~Missing exporter test lock~~ ✓ Resolved 🐞 Bug ☼ Reliability

Description

GenericCsvExportFormatTest lacks the @Execution(SAME_THREAD) / @ResourceLock("exporter")
guards used by other exporter tests, so it may run concurrently and become flaky. This is especially
risky because TemplateExporter mutates global Number.serialExportNumber during export.

Code

jablib/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/GenericCsvExportFormatTest.java[R27-44]

Evidence
TemplateExporter resets/increments a shared static counter (Number.serialExportNumber) on every
export. Other exporter tests explicitly serialize exporter tests with @Execution(SAME_THREAD) and
@ResourceLock("exporter"), but the new test does not, so it can race under parallel test
execution.
jablib/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/GenericCsvExportFormatTest.java[18-33]
jablib/src/main/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/TemplateExporter.java[240-246]
jablib/src/main/java/org/jabref/logic/layout/format/Number.java[7-19]
jablib/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/CsvExportFormatTest.java[31-33]

Agent prompt

The issue below was found during a code review. Follow the provided context and guidance below and implement a solution

## Issue description
`GenericCsvExportFormatTest` can run in parallel with other exporter tests, but exporter code mutates global static state, which can lead to non-deterministic failures.
### Issue Context
`TemplateExporter` sets and increments `Number.serialExportNumber` (a public static int) during export. Existing exporter tests (e.g., `CsvExportFormatTest`) protect against this by forcing same-thread execution and applying a shared `ResourceLock("exporter")`.
### Fix Focus Areas
- jablib/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/GenericCsvExportFormatTest.java[18-33]
- jablib/src/main/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/TemplateExporter.java[240-246]
- jablib/src/main/java/org/jabref/logic/layout/format/Number.java[7-19]
- jablib/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/CsvExportFormatTest.java[31-33]
### Suggested fix
- Add the same annotations used by `CsvExportFormatTest`:
- `@Execution(ExecutionMode.SAME_THREAD)`
- `@ResourceLock("exporter")`
- and the required imports.
- (Optional) Add an `@AfterEach` cleanup like the existing test class, for consistency.

ⓘ Copy this prompt and use it to remediate the issue with your preferred AI generation tools

- Apply OpenRewrite suggestions - Add missing fields Chapter and Annote to header - Apply ReplaceWithEscapedDoubleQuotes to all fields - Add execution lock annotations to test class - Add citation key assertion and quote escaping tests

pluto-han · 2026-05-27T10:38:18Z

+        assertTrue(header.contains("Citation Key"));
+        assertTrue(header.contains("Author"));
+        assertTrue(header.contains("Title"));
+        assertTrue(header.contains("Year"));
+        assertTrue(header.contains("Journal"));
+        assertTrue(header.contains("DOI"));
+        assertTrue(header.contains("Abstract"));
+        assertTrue(header.contains("Chapter"));
+        assertTrue(header.contains("Annote"));


If you read other tests in the same folder, you will find they never make a wall of assertTrue

AI loves using it

Yeah sorry just checked that, will be fixing it

Siedlerchr · 2026-05-27T12:08:24Z

-        assertTrue(lines.get(1).contains("Doe2023"));
-        assertTrue(lines.get(1).contains("Doe, John"));
+        assertEquals(
+                "\"Citation Key\",\"Author\",\"Title\",\"Year\",\"Journal\",\"Booktitle\",\"Publisher\",\"Volume\",\"Number\",\"Pages\",\"Month\",\"Edition\",\"Address\",\"Editor\",\"Series\",\"Note\",\"HowPublished\",\"Organization\",\"Institution\",\"School\",\"Chapter\",\"Annote\",\"DOI\",\"URL\",\"Keywords\",\"Abstract\",\"ISBN\",\"ISSN\"",


Better use three quotation marks, so you can use textblocks and do not escape the quotes https://www.baeldung.com/java-text-blocks

Add generic CSV export filter

229b8a1

Adds a new CSV export filter that exports all standard BibTeX fields as-is, with a header row. Fixes JabRef#15711

github-actions Bot added the first contrib label May 27, 2026

qodo-free-for-open-source-projects Bot reviewed May 27, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/csv.begin.layout Outdated

Comment thread jablib/src/test/java/org/jabref/logic/exporter/GenericCsvExportFormatTest.java

Comment thread jablib/src/main/resources/resource/layout/csv/csv.layout Outdated

github-actions Bot added good first issue An issue intended for project-newcomers. Varies in difficulty. status: changes-required Pull requests that are not yet complete labels May 27, 2026

github-actions Bot mentioned this pull request May 27, 2026

Create a new CSV export filter based on openoffice-csv.layout which exports all standard fields as is #15711

Closed

Fix CSV export filter issues

d14f917

- Apply OpenRewrite suggestions - Add missing fields Chapter and Annote to header - Apply ReplaceWithEscapedDoubleQuotes to all fields - Add execution lock annotations to test class - Add citation key assertion and quote escaping tests

github-actions Bot added status: no-bot-comments and removed status: changes-required Pull requests that are not yet complete labels May 27, 2026

pluto-han reviewed May 27, 2026

View reviewed changes

Refactoring test using assertEquals instead of wall of assertTrue

3dfb4f8

Siedlerchr reviewed May 27, 2026

View reviewed changes

Applying three quotation blocks instead of escaping the quotes

1d69039

github-actions Bot added status: changes-required Pull requests that are not yet complete and removed status: no-bot-comments labels May 27, 2026

Fix text block indentation in tests

ed47f30

github-actions Bot added status: no-bot-comments and removed status: changes-required Pull requests that are not yet complete labels May 27, 2026

joaohmalves requested a review from Siedlerchr May 28, 2026 07:06

Siedlerchr approved these changes May 28, 2026

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Siedlerchr added this pull request to the merge queue May 28, 2026

github-actions Bot added the status: to-be-merged PRs which are accepted and should go into the merge-queue. label May 28, 2026

Merged via the queue into JabRef:main with commit 2973a6c May 28, 2026
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Add generic CSV export filter#15838

Add generic CSV export filter#15838
Siedlerchr merged 5 commits into
JabRef:mainfrom
joaohmalves:feature/csv-export-filter-15711

joaohmalves commented May 27, 2026 •

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PR Description

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Review Summary by Qodo

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