[Refdb-users] My conclusions regarding RefDB

[<mar...@mh...>]

Michael Below writes:
 > Hi,
 > 
 > after testing RefDB a bit, I came to the conclusion that it doesn't
 > meet my needs. I thought I should tell you why:
 > 

It is hard to meet everyones needs, so if RefDB doesn't match your
expectations I have to accept this. I try to improve on RefDB
continuously, so I appreciate your comments on the shortcomings of
RefDB.

 > - The database stores only a subset of the contents of my bibtex
 >   files. Certain fields are lost, e.g. abstract, location, type,
 >   dissyear.

bib2ris is highly configurable. By default the converter uses only the
standard bibtex fields (I followed the description of
Daly/Kopka). Support for all other fields must be manually added in
the configuration file. This is the only reasonable way to handle
non-standard data as everyone is free to use non-standard bibtex field
names of his own choice. Please see the manual how to configure
bib2ris.

 > - Data input isn't supported very well. If I want to enter a new
 >   piece of literature, I have to type in field names and their
 >   content. There is no such thing like a data entry form. E.g.
 >   the bibtex mode of emacs is more comfortable, and that's where
 >   I'm coming from (as pybliographer didn't fit my needs).
 > 

What are your main problems with ris-mode? This isn't exactly a form
but should help to enter data fairly rapidly. However, I frankly admit
that RefDB handles the import of existing electronic bibliography data
better than writing entries from scratch.

Future releases will support the upcoming bibx DTD. This is a XML DTD
which is currently under development. It is supposed to be a common
data storage and transfer format understood by (hopefully) all
open-source bibliography softwares. Once bibx has stabilized and
support for it has been added to RefDB, you can basically use any XML
editor to enter data. Most likely someone will also come up with a
graphical bibx editor.

regards,
Markus

-- 
Markus Hoenicka
mar...@ca...
(Spam-protected email: replace the quadrupeds with "mhoenicka")
http://www.mhoenicka.de