Jabref: External files do not open anymore (Windows 10)

[podkop]

JabRef version 5.1--2020-08-30--e023aa0
Windows 10 10.0 amd64, Java 14.0.2

• [X] Mandatory: I have tested the latest development version from http://builds.jabref.org/master/ and the problem persists

After updating JabRef from 5.0 to the newest version downloaded from here: https://www.fosshub.com/JabRef.html ("JabRef Windows Installer"), external files linked to the bibliography entries do not open anymore. Everything worked with the same bib file in the previous JabRef version.

• "Linked files" icons are still shown near entries. However when clicking on such an icon, JabRef opens my default documents folder.
• Context menu items "Open folder" and "Open file" are dimmed.
• In the entry editor / "General" pane, when hovering over the file name element, a tooltip appears with the text "Could not find file ...".
• When adding a link to a pdf file using the entry editor (by navigating to the file), the path do the pdf file does not become relative path, as in the previous JabRef version.

The same behavior was also observed for latest development version (JabRef-5.2.msi, 2020-09-03 13:04, 178.9 MB, JabRef 5.2--2020-09-03--1283f9f).

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Create any bibliography entry
2. In the entry editor / "General" pane, click "+" icon on the right of the "File" field, and select a pdf file
   The file name appears in the "File" field, the "Open file" icon appears near the entry, but the corresponding functionality does not work as described above.

Below is an example of a bibliography entry (among tens of entries in my bibliography file, all having links to pdf files, none of them work). The entry has two links to a same pdf file. The first one is relative, it was added in a previous version of JabRef, and worked as expected in the previous version. The second link is absolute, it was added in the current version of JabRef. None of the links work; the described behavior applies to both of them.

@Article{Monkk2013,
  author    = {Mikko M{\"o}nkk{\"o}nen and Artti Juutinen and Adriano Mazziotta and Kaisa Miettinen and Dmitry Podkopaev and Pasi Reunanen and Hannu Salminen and Olli-Pekka Tikkanen},
  title     = {Spatially dynamic forest management to sustain biodiversity and economic returns},
  doi       = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.12.021},
  issn      = {0301-4797},
  number    = {0},
  pages     = {80--89},
  url       = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030147971300769X},
  volume    = {134},
  abstract  = {Removed for shortening},
  file      = {:Papers/Optimization_and_Decision_Making/Forest_Management/Spatially_dynamic_forest_management_to_sustain_biodiversity_and_economic_returns_2014.pdf:PDF;:C\:/Mytemp/dropbox/Bibliography/Papers/Optimization_and_Decision_Making/Forest_Management/Spatially_dynamic_forest_management_to_sustain_biodiversity_and_economic_returns_2014.pdf:PDF},
  journal   = {Journal of Environmental Management},
  keywords  = {Biodiversity; Cost-effectiveness; Forest management; Land use planning; Multi-objective optimization},
  timestamp = {2014.01.29},
  year      = {2014},
}

[Bassbiest]

I can confirm all of the above.

JabRef 5.1--2020-08-30--e023aa0
Windows 10 10.0 amd64
Java 14.0.2

[Siedlerchr]

Check your settings for the file directories.

[Bassbiest]

The settings for default file directories were empty. Setting general or user-specific file directory worked. I can open files directly from JabRef again.

[Siedlerchr]

It's a nasty bug which somehow slipped into the 5.1 release.

[podkop]

@Bassbiest

The settings for default file directories were empty. Setting general or user-specific file directory worked. I can open files directly from JabRef again.

Can you please specify, which settings are you talking about?

[Siedlerchr]

@podkop See the help on the file directories: https://docs.jabref.org/finding-sorting-and-cleaning-entries/filelinks#directories-for-files

[podkop]

@Siedlerchr Thanks a lot, got it. I guess it is clear that option "_Search and store files relative to library file location_" should be switched on by default for compatibility with previous versions.

There is a related issue. Links to files where the absolute path is given do not work. I guess they worked before 5.0. Maybe this functionality was removed intentionally. However, I know a use case where having absolute links to files would be convenient.

In order to make absolute links work, it would be enough to check if the full file name starts with the drive letter or slash, and do not prepend the main directory if yes. Do you think it is worth creating new issue?