JabRef Native Image Support

This project aims to bring GraalVM native-image support to JabRef, starting with JabKit and its core dependency JabLib, and then extending to JabGui, JabLS, and JabSrv based on feasibility. Currently, JabKit is distributed using JPackage and JBang, which leads to relatively slow startup time for a CLI tool. Native-image can compile Java applications into standalone executables with faster startup, but applying it to a large modular project like JabRef is challenging, especially due to runtime issues. Based on preliminary experiments, the main difficulty is not compilation but runtime compatibility. Dependencies such as Lucene, PDFBox, and JGit can compile successfully but fail at runtime due to dynamic class loading, reflection, or native library requirements. This project follows an incremental approach. First, it establishes a minimal native-image build and testing setup. Then, it enables a subset of JabKit functionality and gradually expands support by resolving dependency issues. Finally, it investigates feasibility for JabGui, JabLS, and JabSrv. Expected deliverables include a working JabKit native executable, feasibility results for other components, and documentation on dependency compatibility and native-image configuration.