
<<< "Bibcard", an X based interface for BibTeX databases. >>>

See the Release notes for new bibcard features.

To install bibcard you need to set the following environment variable:

OPENWINHOME - this should be the directory where xview 2.0, olgx, and 
compatible X11 libraries and include files are located. 
 
Then run "make"

To  actually install, edit the make file entries for BINDIR and MANDIR to
fit your site, them run "make install"

BiBCard comes with a help file compatable with the OpenWindows help facility.
This file, "bt.info" should be in a directory specified in the environment
variable "HELPPATH"

You can edit the file "bt_ex.c" to change the character Bibcard uses
to bracket the value of each field in the bib file. If you want to
bracket these with quotes (") instead of curly brackets ({}) change
the value of FIELDLEFT and FIELDRIGHT.

A short discription of BiBCard follows.
     
Bibliographic entries can be displayed for each type of reference defined
by BiBTeX. Required fields are listed first, followed by the optional fields 
for that type.  Users can select with the mouse the reference type
desired.  The user interface follows the OpenLook style.

Three menu buttons contain most of the command functions:

FILE:  functions for loading and saving bib files.

EDIT:  Delete - deletes the currently shown bib entry.
       Add - adds a new empty bib entry.
       Undo - reverts any changes to the current entry.
       
VIEW:  Next/Previous  - for showing sequential bib entries.
       List - pops up a scrollable list of all cite keys in
              the database.  A mouse click on any key will 
              show that entry. This list can be displayed
              sorted alphabetically.  If it is sorted, only
              250 entries will be displayed.  Selecting
              "File Order" will display all entries but
              this could slow things down a bit.
      Find -  pops up a dialog box for entering a search 
              string for any field.
      Annotation - shows a window that displays the 
              "annote" field for the current entry.
      Abbreviation - shows a window that displays the 
              @STRING entries. Users will be able to 
              modify and add new abbreviations, but
              must have some knowledge of BiBTeX syntax.
      Other fields - shows a window to enter and display
              non-standard BiBTeX fields.  These are user
              defined and will be ignored by BiBTeX 
              
Entering Macros (string abbreviations):
  Macros must be entered into the bibcard fields prefixed with a special
  character.  Currently this character is "#".  Thus, if you have a
  string abbreviations like this:
     @string{ joj = "Journal of Jokes"} 
  you will have to enter:
     #joj 
  into the bibcard Journal field which will result in the bib file entry:
     Journal = joj
  
Bibcard does not tolerate as much flexability in the .bib file format as
BibTeX does.  Specifically bibcard expects only one field specification
per line (although field values may extend over one line).  Thus, bibcard
will ignore the "month" entry in the following line:
  year = 1990, month = jun,

Bibcard will NOT retain the format of existing bib files when re-saved.
Be sure to save a back-up of your existing bib files until you are sure
bibcard's format suits you. 

When you attempt to save a file with an existing name, bibcard will ask
if you want to save a backup.  These backups will be saved under the same
name with an extension of ".~1~".  The next backup will be ".~2~" and
so on.  


The default directory will be the current working directory unless an
optional $BIBPATH envronment variable is set.


A @preamble item in the bib file will be re-saved but  bibcard 
does not provide a method to edit this item.
Multiple @preamble items will be concatinated into one item
automatically.

HIDDEN FUNCTION
 A mouse click (left button) on the label of any field will display
 a larger text editing area for that field.
              
If help is installed, information about each BiBTeX field is available 
through the OpenWindow help facility.

Bibcard requires the XView 2.0 libraries distributed either by SUN or
contained in the X11/R4 contributions.  It *should* run under your
favorite X window manager.  


Please send comments and bug reports to ogden@nmsu.edu. 
