NAME

lookbib, indxbib − find references in a bibliography; build inverted index

SYNOPSIS

indxbib databases
lookbib database

DESCRIPTION

Indxbib makes an inverted index to the named databases (or files) for use by lookbib(1) and refer(1).  These files contain bibliographic references (or other information) separated by blank lines. 

A bibliographic reference is a set of lines which constitute fields of bibliographic information.  Each field starts on a line beginning with  %  followed by a key letter, a blank, and finally the contents of the field, which may continue until the next line starting with % . 

Indxbib is a shell script that calls /usr/lib/refer/mkey and /usr/lib/refer/inv.  The first program, mkey, truncates words to 6 characters, and maps upper case to lower case.  It also discards words shorter than 3 characters, words among the 100 most common English words, and numbers (dates) less than 1900 or greater than 2000.  These parameters can be changed.  The second program, inv, creates an entry file (.ia), a posting file (.ib), and a tag file (.ic), all in the working directory. 

Lookbib uses an inverted index made by indxbib to find sets of bibliographic references.  It reads keywords typed after the  >  prompt on the terminal, and retrieves records containing all these keywords.  If nothing matches, nothing is returned except another  >  prompt. 

Multiple databases can be searched, as long as they have a common index made by indxbib.  In that case, only the first argument given to indxbib is specified to lookbib. 

If lookbib does not find the index files (the .i[abc] files), it looks for a reference file with the same name as the argument, without the suffixes.  It creates a file with the suffix .ig, suitable for use with fgrep.  Then it uses this fgrep file to find references.  This method is simpler, but the .ig file is slower to use t(an the .i[abc] files, and does not allow the use of multiple reference files. 

FILES

x.ia, x.ib, x.ic, where x is the first argument; or if these are not present, then x.ig, x
/usr/lib//refer/mkey
/usr/lib/refer/inv

SEE ALSO

refer(1), addbib(1), sortbib(1), roffbib(1), lookbib(1)
Bill Tuthill, “Refer — A Bibliography System,” in Volume II of the UNIX Programmer’s Manual. 

BUGS

All dates should be indexed;  many disciplines refer to literature written before 1900. 

4th Berkeley Distribution  —  1 August 1985