LOOKBIB(1) User Commands LOOKBIB(1)

NAME

lookbib - find references in a bibliographic database

SYNOPSIS

lookbib database

DESCRIPTION

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


The lookbib utility 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.


It is possible to search multiple databases, as long as they have a
common index made by indxbib(1). 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 a .ig suffix, suitable for use with
fgrep (see grep(1)). lookbib then uses this fgrep file to find
references. This method is simpler to use, but the .ig file is slower to
use than the .i[abc] files, and does not allow the use of multiple
reference files.

FILES

x.ia


x.ib


x.ic
index files


x.ig
reference file

SEE ALSO

addbib(1), grep(1), indxbib(1), refer(1), roffbib(1), sortbib(1),
attributes(7)

BUGS

Probably all dates should be indexed, since many disciplines refer to
literature written in the 1800s or earlier.


September 14, 1992 LOOKBIB(1)