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tballison pushed a commit to branch TIKA-4755-enable-extras-jars
in repository https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/tika.git

commit c377695ec28a164a6197b9b156e169e1d8a5deaf
Author: tallison <[email protected]>
AuthorDate: Sat Jun 6 16:30:06 2026 -0400

    TIKA-4755 - extra jars
---
 CHANGES.txt                                        |   9 ++
 docs/modules/ROOT/pages/configuration/index.adoc   |  27 +++++
 .../src/main/java/org/apache/tika/cli/TikaCLI.java |   2 +
 .../java/org/apache/tika/config/TikaExtras.java    | 123 +++++++++++++++++++++
 .../org/apache/tika/config/TikaExtrasTest.java     | 100 +++++++++++++++++
 .../tika/pipes/core/PerClientServerManager.java    |   6 +
 .../tika/pipes/core/SharedServerManager.java       |   6 +
 tika-server/docker-build/README.md                 |   6 +
 8 files changed, 279 insertions(+)

diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index 31c3876a0e..e827e1fab4 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -9,6 +9,15 @@ Release 4.0.0-beta-1 - unreleased
      -x/--xml, the server /tika/xml and /rmeta/xml paths (or the
      X-Tika-Handler header), and the async CLI --handler x (TIKA-4663).
 
+  NEW FEATURES
+
+   * tika-app and tika-server can load extra jars (additional 
EncodingDetectors,
+     Parsers, etc.) from the directory named by the -Dtika.extras.dir system
+     property, without repackaging the application. Off by default; the 
directory
+     is a trusted code location whose contents run with full process 
privileges.
+     The extra jars are also forwarded onto forked pipes/server worker 
processes,
+     so they are available where parsing actually happens (TIKA-4755).
+
 
 Release 4.0.0-alpha-1 - 5/4/2026
 
diff --git a/docs/modules/ROOT/pages/configuration/index.adoc 
b/docs/modules/ROOT/pages/configuration/index.adoc
index 37a176e0a3..3d96d7c5dd 100644
--- a/docs/modules/ROOT/pages/configuration/index.adoc
+++ b/docs/modules/ROOT/pages/configuration/index.adoc
@@ -28,6 +28,33 @@ content handlers, server behavior, and the Tika Pipes 
pipeline.
 NOTE: Tika 3.x and earlier used XML configuration (`tika-config.xml`). See the
 xref:migration-to-4x/index.adoc[Migration Guide] for details on converting to 
JSON.
 
+== Adding extra jars (`tika.extras.dir`)
+
+To add extra components — additional ``EncodingDetector``s, ``Parser``s, or 
their
+dependencies — without repackaging the application, drop their jars in a 
directory
+and point the `tika.extras.dir` system property at it:
+
+[source,bash]
+----
+java -Dtika.extras.dir=/path/to/extras -jar tika-app.jar ...
+java -Dtika.extras.dir=/path/to/extras -jar tika-server-standard.jar ...
+----
+
+Every `*.jar` in that directory is added to the classpath that Tika's
+service-loading scans, so SPI-registered components in those jars are picked up
+automatically. The jars are also forwarded onto forked Pipes/server worker
+processes, so they are available where parsing happens.
+
+This is *off by default* — nothing is loaded unless `tika.extras.dir` is set, 
and
+the working directory is never used. Treat the directory as a trusted code
+location: anything in it runs with the full privileges of the Tika process, so 
it
+must not be writable by less-trusted principals (and, for a server, must not be
+reachable by request handling).
+
+NOTE: In the Docker images you can instead mount a directory to `/tika-extras`.
+PF4J-managed plugins are a separate mechanism — see
+xref:pipes/plugins/index.adoc[Pipes Plugins].
+
 == Top-level JSON structure
 
 A `tika-config.json` is a single JSON object whose keys are the top-level 
sections
diff --git a/tika-app/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/cli/TikaCLI.java 
b/tika-app/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/cli/TikaCLI.java
index 5bea9f0da6..abbe4c280f 100644
--- a/tika-app/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/cli/TikaCLI.java
+++ b/tika-app/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/cli/TikaCLI.java
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ import org.xml.sax.helpers.DefaultHandler;
 import org.apache.tika.Tika;
 import org.apache.tika.async.cli.TikaAsyncCLI;
 import org.apache.tika.config.EmbeddedLimits;
+import org.apache.tika.config.TikaExtras;
 import org.apache.tika.config.TimeoutLimits;
 import org.apache.tika.config.loader.ComponentRegistry;
 import org.apache.tika.config.loader.TikaLoader;
@@ -256,6 +257,7 @@ public class TikaCLI {
     }
 
     public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
+        TikaExtras.install();
         TikaCLI cli = new TikaCLI();
 
         if (cli.testForHelp(args)) {
diff --git a/tika-core/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/config/TikaExtras.java 
b/tika-core/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/config/TikaExtras.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9e9be00d2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tika-core/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/config/TikaExtras.java
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one or more
+ * contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file distributed with
+ * this work for additional information regarding copyright ownership.
+ * The ASF licenses this file to You 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.
+ */
+package org.apache.tika.config;
+
+import java.net.URL;
+import java.net.URLClassLoader;
+import java.nio.file.DirectoryStream;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+/**
+ * Opt-in mechanism for adding user-supplied "extras" jars (extra
+ * {@code EncodingDetector}s, {@code Parser}s, etc.) to Tika's SPI discovery
+ * without repackaging the application.
+ *
+ * <p><b>Off by default.</b> Nothing is loaded unless the
+ * {@value #EXTRAS_DIR_PROPERTY} system property points at a directory; then 
every
+ * {@code *.jar} in it is made visible to service-loading.  There is no 
implicit
+ * directory, and the working directory is never used.
+ *
+ * <p><b>Security:</b> this is a trusted code directory — anything in it runs 
with
+ * the full privileges of the Tika process.  Treat write access to it exactly 
like
+ * write access to {@code lib/}; it must not be writable by less-trusted 
principals
+ * (for servers, not reachable by request handling).  Being opt-in keeps "we 
are
+ * now loading extra code" an explicit, auditable choice.
+ */
+public final class TikaExtras {
+
+    /** System property naming the extras directory.  Unset = feature off. */
+    public static final String EXTRAS_DIR_PROPERTY = "tika.extras.dir";
+
+    private static final Logger LOG = 
LoggerFactory.getLogger(TikaExtras.class);
+
+    private TikaExtras() {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * If {@value #EXTRAS_DIR_PROPERTY} is set, installs a classloader over the
+     * {@code *.jar} files in that directory as the thread + Tika
+     * {@link ServiceLoader} context classloader, so they join SPI discovery.
+     * No-op (returns {@code null}) when the property is unset or the 
directory is
+     * missing/empty.  Call once, before any Tika component is loaded.
+     *
+     * @return the installed classloader, or {@code null} if extras are 
off/empty
+     */
+    public static ClassLoader install() {
+        List<Path> jars = extraJars();
+        if (jars.isEmpty()) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        List<URL> urls = new ArrayList<>(jars.size());
+        for (Path jar : jars) {
+            try {
+                urls.add(jar.toUri().toURL());
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                LOG.warn("Skipping extra jar {}: {}", jar, e.toString());
+            }
+        }
+        if (urls.isEmpty()) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        ClassLoader parent = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader();
+        if (parent == null) {
+            parent = TikaExtras.class.getClassLoader();
+        }
+        URLClassLoader cl = new URLClassLoader(urls.toArray(new URL[0]), 
parent);
+        Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader(cl);
+        ServiceLoader.setContextClassLoader(cl);
+        LOG.info("{}: loaded {} extra jar(s): {}", EXTRAS_DIR_PROPERTY, 
urls.size(), jars);
+        return cl;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The {@code *.jar} files in the {@value #EXTRAS_DIR_PROPERTY} directory 
— for
+     * callers that extend a forked process's classpath rather than installing 
a
+     * classloader.  Empty when the property is unset or the directory is
+     * missing/has no jars.
+     */
+    public static List<Path> extraJars() {
+        Path dir = extrasDir();
+        if (dir == null || !Files.isDirectory(dir)) {
+            return Collections.emptyList();
+        }
+        List<Path> jars = new ArrayList<>();
+        try (DirectoryStream<Path> stream = Files.newDirectoryStream(dir, 
"*.jar")) {
+            for (Path jar : stream) {
+                jars.add(jar);
+            }
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            LOG.warn("Could not scan {}={}: {}", EXTRAS_DIR_PROPERTY, dir, 
e.toString());
+        }
+        return jars;
+    }
+
+    /** The configured extras directory, or {@code null} if the feature is 
off. */
+    public static Path extrasDir() {
+        String prop = System.getProperty(EXTRAS_DIR_PROPERTY);
+        if (prop == null || prop.isBlank()) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        return Path.of(prop.trim());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tika-core/src/test/java/org/apache/tika/config/TikaExtrasTest.java 
b/tika-core/src/test/java/org/apache/tika/config/TikaExtrasTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..06f3bb1155
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tika-core/src/test/java/org/apache/tika/config/TikaExtrasTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one or more
+ * contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file distributed with
+ * this work for additional information regarding copyright ownership.
+ * The ASF licenses this file to You 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.
+ */
+package org.apache.tika.config;
+
+import static java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.UTF_8;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertSame;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.jar.JarEntry;
+import java.util.jar.JarOutputStream;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
+
+public class TikaExtrasTest {
+
+    private static final String MARKER = "tika-extra-marker.txt";
+
+    @Test
+    public void offWhenPropertyUnset() throws Exception {
+        withProperty(null, () -> {
+            assertNull(TikaExtras.extrasDir(), "feature must be off with no 
property");
+            assertTrue(TikaExtras.extraJars().isEmpty());
+            assertNull(TikaExtras.install());
+        });
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void emptyWhenDirMissing(@TempDir Path tmp) throws Exception {
+        Path missing = tmp.resolve("does-not-exist");
+        withProperty(missing.toString(), () -> {
+            assertTrue(TikaExtras.extraJars().isEmpty());
+            assertNull(TikaExtras.install());
+        });
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void loadsJarsWhenPropertySet(@TempDir Path tmp) throws Exception {
+        Path jar = tmp.resolve("extra.jar");
+        try (JarOutputStream jos = new 
JarOutputStream(Files.newOutputStream(jar))) {
+            jos.putNextEntry(new JarEntry(MARKER));
+            jos.write("hi".getBytes(UTF_8));
+            jos.closeEntry();
+        }
+        ClassLoader prevCtx = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader();
+        try {
+            withProperty(tmp.toString(), () -> {
+                assertEquals(1, TikaExtras.extraJars().size());
+                ClassLoader cl = TikaExtras.install();
+                assertNotNull(cl, "extras dir with a jar should install a 
classloader");
+                assertNotNull(cl.getResource(MARKER), "the extra jar must be 
on the classloader");
+                assertSame(cl, Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader());
+            });
+        } finally {
+            Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader(prevCtx);
+            ServiceLoader.setContextClassLoader(prevCtx);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private interface Body {
+        void run() throws Exception;
+    }
+
+    private static void withProperty(String value, Body body) throws Exception 
{
+        String prev = System.getProperty(TikaExtras.EXTRAS_DIR_PROPERTY);
+        try {
+            if (value == null) {
+                System.clearProperty(TikaExtras.EXTRAS_DIR_PROPERTY);
+            } else {
+                System.setProperty(TikaExtras.EXTRAS_DIR_PROPERTY, value);
+            }
+            body.run();
+        } finally {
+            if (prev == null) {
+                System.clearProperty(TikaExtras.EXTRAS_DIR_PROPERTY);
+            } else {
+                System.setProperty(TikaExtras.EXTRAS_DIR_PROPERTY, prev);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git 
a/tika-pipes/tika-pipes-core/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/pipes/core/PerClientServerManager.java
 
b/tika-pipes/tika-pipes-core/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/pipes/core/PerClientServerManager.java
index 50165dce1b..35a9433463 100644
--- 
a/tika-pipes/tika-pipes-core/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/pipes/core/PerClientServerManager.java
+++ 
b/tika-pipes/tika-pipes-core/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/pipes/core/PerClientServerManager.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import org.apache.tika.config.TikaExtras;
 import org.apache.tika.pipes.core.server.PipesServer;
 import org.apache.tika.utils.ProcessUtils;
 
@@ -510,6 +511,11 @@ public class PerClientServerManager implements 
ServerManager {
     private Path writeArgFile() throws IOException {
         Path argFile = tmpDir.resolve("jvm-args.txt");
         String classpath = System.getProperty("java.class.path");
+        // forward any tika.extras.dir jars to the forked PipesServer
+        for (Path extra : TikaExtras.extraJars()) {
+            classpath = classpath + System.getProperty("path.separator")
+                    + extra.toAbsolutePath();
+        }
         String normalizedClasspath = classpath.replace("\\", "/");
         String content = "-cp\n\"" + normalizedClasspath + "\"\n";
         Files.writeString(argFile, content, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
diff --git 
a/tika-pipes/tika-pipes-core/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/pipes/core/SharedServerManager.java
 
b/tika-pipes/tika-pipes-core/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/pipes/core/SharedServerManager.java
index ea18f31b0e..65d654168e 100644
--- 
a/tika-pipes/tika-pipes-core/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/pipes/core/SharedServerManager.java
+++ 
b/tika-pipes/tika-pipes-core/src/main/java/org/apache/tika/pipes/core/SharedServerManager.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import org.apache.tika.config.TikaExtras;
 import org.apache.tika.pipes.core.server.PipesServer;
 import org.apache.tika.utils.ProcessUtils;
 
@@ -498,6 +499,11 @@ public class SharedServerManager implements ServerManager {
     private Path writeArgFile() throws IOException {
         Path argFile = tmpDir.resolve("jvm-args.txt");
         String classpath = System.getProperty("java.class.path");
+        // forward any tika.extras.dir jars to the forked PipesServer
+        for (Path extra : TikaExtras.extraJars()) {
+            classpath = classpath + System.getProperty("path.separator")
+                    + extra.toAbsolutePath();
+        }
         String normalizedClasspath = classpath.replace("\\", "/");
         String content = "-cp\n\"" + normalizedClasspath + "\"\n";
         Files.writeString(argFile, content, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
diff --git a/tika-server/docker-build/README.md 
b/tika-server/docker-build/README.md
index b7307d5c51..61adad448f 100644
--- a/tika-server/docker-build/README.md
+++ b/tika-server/docker-build/README.md
@@ -215,6 +215,12 @@ As of 2.5.0.2, if you'd like to add extra jars from your 
local `my-jars` directo
 You may want to do this to add optional components, such as the tika-eval 
metadata filter, or optional
 dependencies such as jai-imageio-jpeg2000 (check license compatibility first!).
 
+Outside Docker (e.g. `java -jar tika-app.jar` or `tika-server-standard.jar`), 
point the
+`tika.extras.dir` system property at a directory of extra jars instead, e.g.
+`java -Dtika.extras.dir=my-jars -jar tika-server-standard.jar`. Either way the 
extra jars
+are also forwarded onto forked worker processes. The directory is a trusted 
code location
+whose contents run with the full privileges of the Tika process.
+
 ### Docker Compose Examples
 
 There are a number of sample Docker Compose files included in the repos to 
allow you to test some different scenarios.

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