For the impatient (and for the patient, too), the main features of BibDB are
the following:
- Utilizes a more or less intuitive mouse-and-menu interface, with a
minimum of hidden commands to learn;
- Works directly on your old bibliography files (lines must not exceed
255 characters, though);
- Provides search, display, edit, replace and delete features for
bibliography entries;
- Hides from the user most details of BibTEX syntax and rules;
- Operates on files with up to 65535 entries. That size file will strain your
patience though;
- Maintains your BibTEX files in an orderly human-readable format;
- Can maintain automatically sorted databases, using several sort
criteria. Can also read sorting data embedded in the database files, and
optionally write sorting data onto old or new files;
- Implements a flexible selection mask which can ``hide" from the user
all entries which do not match the mask;
- Allows merging of files and dumping selected entries to external files;
- Allows creation of a logical ``database" made up of several individual
database files via a `link' mode;
- Provides extensive support for multi-lingual files. Files can be
automatically and transparently converted from 7-bit mode (i.e.
accented characters being represented by TEX codes) to 8-bit mode (
i.e. accented characters being represented by high bit IBM characters) and
vice versa. You can thus maintain your files in conventional TEX format,
while still using the full 8-bit capabilities of your code page within BibDB;
- Almost all features can be controlled via a configuration file. In
particular, the configuration file allows the user to completely specify
the display format of entries on screen. BibDB can also be configured for
databases other than bibliography ones (hint, hint).
- Supports multitaskers such as DESQview and Windows 3.x;
- Can use EMS and XMS memory for faster operation;
- Has context sensitive online help. Pressing `F1' from most screens brings
up a brief description of active keys.
- Is completely free. I know this is not important to most of you, but
nevertheless there it is.