sortbib(1)              (BSD Compatibility Package)              sortbib(1)


   NAME
         sortbib - sort a bibliographic database

   SYNOPSIS
         /usr/ucb/sortbib [ -skey-letters ] database...

   DESCRIPTION
         The sortbib command sorts files of records containing refer key-
         letters by user-specified keys.  Records may be separated by blank
         lines, or by `.[' and `.]'  delimiters, but the two styles may not be
         mixed together.  This program reads through each database and pulls
         out key fields, which are sorted separately.  The sorted key fields
         contain the file pointer, byte offset, and length of corresponding
         records.  These records are delivered using disk seeks and reads, so
         sortbib may not be used in a pipeline to read standard input.

         By default, sortbib alphabetizes by the first %A and the %D fields,
         which contain the senior author and date.  The -s option is used to
         specify new key-letters.  See addbib for a list of the most common
         key letters.  For instance, -sATD will sort by author, title, and
         date, while -sA+D will sort by all authors, and date.  Sort keys past
         the fourth are not meaningful.  No more than 16 databases may be
         sorted together at one time.  Records longer than 4096 characters
         will be truncated.

         sortbib sorts on the last word on the %A line, which is assumed to be
         the author's last name.  A word in the final position, such as `jr.'
         or `ed.', will be ignored if the name beforehand ends with a comma.
         Authors with two-word last names or unusual constructions can be
         sorted correctly by using the nroff convention `\0' in place of a
         blank.  A %Q field is considered to be the same as %A, except sorting
         begins with the first, not the last, word.  sortbib sorts on the last
         word of the %D line, usually the year.  It also ignores leading
         articles (like `A' or `The') when sorting by titles in the %T or %J
         fields; it will ignore articles of any modern European language.  If
         a sort-significant field is absent from a record, sortbib places that
         record before other records containing that field.

   SEE ALSO
         addbib(1), indxbib(1), lookbib(1), refer(1), roffbib(1).

   NOTES
         Records with missing author fields should probably be sorted by
         title.









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