jBoom is a Java program for remote storage and management of browser bookmarks and (as of version 2.0) mail addresses. It allows accessing a central set of bookmarks from any system connected to the internet. JBoom is browser and system independent, not bound to a dedicated server, and doesn't require a special web service. The only preconditions are:

• There is a remote system to which which the user has read and write access via FTP, SSH, or HTTP.
• A Java Runtime Environment (JRE) Version 1.6 or higher is installed.

The data are kept in an XML file on the remote system, a local copy can be stored on the client as a precaution. The program may be started either from the client or over the internet from a HTTP server.

Bookmark entries consist of an arbitrary name, an internet or mail address and an optional comment (description, user name, account number etc.). Like a file system they are organized in folders, where every folder contains an arbitrary amount of bookmarks and subfolders. The graphical user interface displays this structure as a tree with expandable and collapsable nodes. A double click on an entry or pressing the enter key shows the correspondig page in the browser, or starts the mailer in "compose" mode respectively. Additionally a linear search over names and/or addresses is possible. New entries can be created manually or taken from the browser using the system clipboard, existing ones can be modified, deleted, moved or sorted easily.

For FTP connections, jBoom uses classes from edtFTPj, and for SSH connections classes from the Ganymed project (extracted using autojar).

License: jBoom is licensed under the GPL, Ganymed under a BSD-like License.

Pros:

• Users changing systems and/or browsers frequently have world-wide access to a single set of bookmarks.
• JBoom is not a browser extension, it has to be started separately. Therefore the browser won't hang on startup in case of an unreachable server.
• Several jBoom files can be joined; inserted files appear as separate branches in the bookmark tree. Those branches can be updated or deleted by a single mouse click.
• Installation is easy and requires nothing but a FTP or SSH connection.
• Entries are displayed well arranged an can be changed easily.

Cons:

• A JRE installation is required.
• The program must be started in addition to the browser.
• Creation of bookmarks cannot be done directly, either manual input or the clipboard has to be used.

Normally jBoom is started as a standalone program, which requires a browser and mailer that can be "remote controlled" by an external command. This is the case with most common systems, such as Windows, MacOS and popular Linux desktop systems.

If remote control isn't possible, jBoom can still be used as a browser applet. This, however, causes some constraints, as it requires certain browser settings (see Usage as applet).

The remote file may be accessed via FTP, SSH or HTTP. Connecting via HTTP allows read-only-bookmarks to be realized, as well as using jBoom as a webservice front-end.

JBoom presently speaks English and German. We are looking for translations of the program texts into other languages. Your help is very much appreciated, please mail me for details.