Re: [Ebib-users] mastersthesis

[<ts...@ts...>]

Joost Kremers <joo...@fa...> writes:

> On Mon, Sep 12, 2011 at 06:19:41AM -1000, Thomas S. Dye wrote:
>> Joost Kremers <joo...@fa...> writes:
>> Eric Schulte added this functionality to org-bibtex a while back.  I
>> think this might be the appropriate part of org-bibtex.el:
>> 
>> (require 'bibtex)
>> (eval-when-compile
>>   (require 'cl))
>> 
>> (defvar description nil) ; dynamically scoped from org.el
>> (defvar org-id-locations)
>> 
>> (declare-function bibtex-beginning-of-entry "bibtex" ())
>> (declare-function bibtex-generate-autokey "bibtex" ())
>
> Hmmm... I see, thanks. So how is your colleague's workflow exactly, if I may
> ask? bibtex-generate-autokey reads a bibtex entry from a buffer and then
> generates a key. But that seems to imply that there is already a properly
> formatted bibtex entry, that is, one with a key. Do you provide temporary keys,
> which are then replaced as the fields are filled?
>
> That wouldn't be difficult to duplicate in Ebib, I think. Instead of having to
> type a key, Ebib would provide a temporary key, which is then replaced with an
> autogenerated key when the fields are filled in.

Hi Joost,

At the moment, I'm the only one using ebib and org-mode.  My colleagues
all work in emacs with the standard LaTeX helper modes--AucTeX, reftex,
bibtex.  We share a master bibliography file that is updated and
distributed periodically.  A typical project uses the master
bibliography file and a separate local bibliography file, which is
merged with the master file at the end of the project, after the editor
has had a chance to make sure it is clean.  We rely on key
autogeneration to reduce the number of duplicate entries in the master
file.  Before we agreed to use autogenerated keys we found the master
file often contained several versions of the same reference, each with a
different key, and often with some slight differences in content.

I'm finding ebib very useful for projects that are designed to be
distributed outside of my circle of colleagues as reproducible
research.  These projects require a bib file that includes just the
references cited by the project.  ebib makes it very easy to accomplish
this.  Still, I want to contribute to our master bibliography file and
comply with our agreement to use autogenerated keys.

As for the mechanics of how Eric S. accomplished this in org-bibtex, I
need to refer you to the org-bibtex.el source, which I presume has the
answer.  From the org-bibtex user's perspective, fields are filled out
in response to queries and when this is done the bibtex information is
placed in an Org-mode property drawer with the autogenerated key.

All the best,
Tom

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