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)