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latex209
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custom-bib
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CUSTOM-BIB Package
(Now includes support for other languages.)
This is the custom-bib package for generating customized BibTeX bibliography
styles from a generic file by means of Frank Mittelbach's docstrip program.
The package contains the following files:
genbst.mbs -- A master BibTeX style file for producing customized
styles (numerical or author-year) with docstrip. It is
self-documenting: simply latex it to produce its
description (requires doc.sty).
This is version 1.2, replacing 1.0. A problem with
harvard.bst has been fixed up, and there is a new option
to allow thesis titles to be formatted the same as
articles, rather than as books.
babel.mbs -- A variation of genbst.mbs for multilingual support. It
can produce .bst files for English, French, German,
Esperanto, and is extendable. Alternatively, one selects
the `language' babel, and the language-specific words are
replaced by commands that need to be defined in a separate
input file. This file is automatically read in by the .bbl
file.
xbtxbst.mbs -- The master bib style file used by Oren Patashnik (with
minor additions by others) for C Preprocessor (XBTXBST.DOC)
converted to the docstrip scheme here, with all original
comments put into LaTeX format. LaTeXing this file produces
the documentation of the original Patashnik text.
makebst.doc -- the documented `program' to select interactively the
docstrip options for one of the *.mbs files, using
information in the .mbs file itself.
makebst.ins -- a docstrip batch job to extract from makebst.doc the files
makebst.tex (decommented version of the program) and
mkbst.tex (a driver to produce documentation from
makebst.doc, requires doc.sty)
Many authors are frustrated at the wide range of bibliographic styles demanded
by journals and publishers, and at the limited number available with standard
LaTeX and BibTeX. This is not the fault of the latter, but rather of the lack
of any bibliographic standards in the English language. Often the differences
are so trivial (comma or colon, date in brackets or parentheses). The normal
user does not want to tackle the task of making up his own .bst file (no
normal human would!)
For this reason, I set out to produce a generic .bst file that could have
features and options selected by means of Mittelbach's docstrip program.
I found over 50 different *.bst files and compared their outputs just for
article: they were all different. They served as part of my input as to what
features were needed. I knew of a few extra that were not covered by these 50.
I also discovered XBTXBST.DOC, a minor modification of Patashnik's BTXBST.DOC,
as well as a file PHYSICS.BST, all of which are meant to do precisely what I
had set up to accomplish. However, they make use of the C Preprocessor
language. It is really a simple matter to convert the preprocessor commands
into docstrip equivalents.
Nevertheless, none of these really met all of my needs, so I continued to
develop GENBST.mbs (GENeric-BibST.MasterBibSt). It soon became obvious that the
sheer number of options necessary made any kind of customizing a difficult
chore. Hence, the next step: the program MAKEBST takes menu information from
the selected .mbs file and presents the user with descriptive choices as
menus. From the answers, it writes a docstrip batch job (extension .drv) which
when TeX'ed, creates the desired .bst file out of the .mbs one. The .drv file
may even be hand edited if one wants to alter only one or two options.
To use the package: (I assume you have docstrip.tex and doc.sty; if you do not
have the former, then you cannot use the package anyway; they are to be found
under /macros/latex/distrib/doc)
1. run TeX (or LaTeX) on makebst.ins (--> makebst.tex and mkbst.tex)
2. LaTeX mkbst.tex to get the documentation for makebst
3. run TeX (or LaTeX) on makebst.tex (or makebst.doc) to start customizing
your own .bst file. You may select the master file as either genbst,
babel, or xbtxdoc.
For documentation on the master bib files, just LaTeX genbst.mbs, babel.mbs
or xbtxbst.mbs themselves. (Note, xbtxbst.mbs will also output the Patashnik
comments to the coding. I have not yet managed to do this for genbst.mbs)
NOTE ON AUTHOR-YEAR CITATIONS:-
Author-year style citations are not supported by standard LaTeX and BibTeX.
However, there exist a large number of bib styles for this, all of which need
some style interface to run properly. I have identified 5 different style
interfaces, plus a 6th one that I use myself (see the NATBIB package in a
parallel directory). I have made up genbst.mbs to be able to produce .bst
files for all 6. If one selects author-year style, then one is asked which
style interface is to be used. (Incidentally my natbib.sty is capable of
reading all 6).
1994 February 14
Patrick W. Daly
Max-Planck-Institut f\"ur Aeronomie
D-37189 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
E-mail:
Internet-- daly@linax1.dnet.gwdg.de