KeePassJava2

A Java 7 API for databases compatible with the renowned KeePass password safe for Windows.

Features to date:

• Read and write KeePass 2.x format
• Keepass 2.x Password and Keyfile Credentials
• Read KeePass 1.x format (Rijndael only)
• No requirement for JCE Policy Files
• Android compatible
• Interfaces for Database, Group and Entry allow compatible addition of other formats

It is licensed under the Apache 2 License and is currently usable.

The work is provided on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or
implied, including, without limitation, any warranties
or conditions of TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY,
or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

You are solely responsible for determining the appropriateness
of using or redistributing the Work and assume any risks
associated with Your exercise of permissions under this License.

(see license)

The composite POM is

    <groupId>org.linguafranca.pwdb</groupId>
    <artifactId>keepassjava2</artifactId>
    <version>2.1.0</version>

at Maven Central. There are also separate POMs for the various modules. The module structure is illustrated below under Build from Source.

Snapshot builds at Sonatype OSS.

It is written for Java 1.7.

Password databases are modelled as a three layer abstraction.

A Database is a collection of records whose physical representation needs only to be capable of rendering as a stream. Entries hold the information of value in the database and Groups allow the structuring of entries into collections, just like a folder structure.

The Database has a root group and by following sub-groups of the root group the tree structure of the database can be navigated. Entries belong to groups. Entries can be moved between groups and groups can also be moved between groups. However, entries and groups created in one database cannot be moved to another database without being converted: Database.newEntry(entryToCopy), Database.newGroup(groupToCopy).

The class Javadoc on Interface classes Database, Group and Entry describe how to use the methods of those classes to create and modify entries. These classes provide the basis of all implementations of the various database formats, initially KDB and KDBX 3.1 (KeePass 2) file formats, subsequently, potentially, others.

The class QuickStart.java provides some illustrations of operations using the Database, Group and Entry interfaces.

This project is so named by kind permission of Dominik Reichl the author of KeePass. There is no formal connection with that project.

It has always been the intention to support other specific password database implementations. Hence the creation of abstract Database interfaces rather than following the KeePass model exactly.

KeePass is in effect defined by the code that Dominik writes to create and maintain the project. Hence there are no definitive specification of KeePass files other than that code. For the sake of clarification and my own satisfaction I have written about my understanding of KeePass formats in the following locations:

1. The Javadoc header to KdbxSerializer describes KDBX stream formatting.
2. The XSD Schema KDBX.3.1.xsd documents my understanding of the Keepass XML, and also my lack of understanding, in parts.
3. [This graphic](Format Diagram.svg) illustrates KDBX 3.1 stream format and also illustrates proposals for the revised KDBX 4.0 format.

Aside from the JRE the API depends on:

• Google Guava (Apache 2 license).
• Apache Commons Codec (Apache 2 license).
• Spongy Castle which is a repackaging for Android of Bouncy Castle (Apache 2 license).

The Simple XML implementation additionally depends on:

• Simple XML Serialisation Framework (Apache 2 license).
• Faster XML Aalto (Apache 2 license).

It also depends on SLF4J and Junit for tests.

Included POM is for Maven 3.

There are rather a lot of modules, this is in order to allow loading of minimal necessary functionality. The module dependencies are illustrated below.


Each module corresponds to a Maven artifact. The GroupId is org.linguafranca.pwdb. The version id is as noted above.

Why are there so many implementations for KDBX? Well, the DOM implementation came first, because of the fact that it can load and save stuff that the implementation doesn't specifically know about. But it is very slow.

Then came the JAXB implementation, but belatedly it seems that Android support is in question. So latterly the Simple implementation. That's probably enough KDBX implementations.

If you prefer Gradle the automatic conversion gradle init converts the POM successfully, however you will need to add something like the following to the build.gradle for the JAXB module, so that the generated sources get compiled correctly:

sourceSets {
  main {
    java {
      srcDirs = ['src/main/java', 'src/generated/java']
    }
    resources {
      srcDirs = ['src/main/resources']
    }
  }
  test{
    java {
      srcDirs = ['src/test/java']
    }
    resources {
      srcDirs = ['src/test/resources']
    }
  }
}

You'll find it in gradle-source-sets.txt in the root of the jaxb module.

In this file.

Many thanks to Pavel Ivanov @ivanovpv for his help with Android and Gradle compatibility issues.

Copyright (c) 2016 Jo Rabin

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at

http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.