PREFER(1) PREFER(1)
NAME
prefer, pinvert, penter, plook, pconvert - maintain and use
bibliographic references
SYNOPSIS
prefer [ option ... ]
penter [ outfile ]
pinvert [ option ... ] [ file ... ]
plook [ -p dbfile ] [ keyword ... ]
pconvert [ -d ] file
DESCRIPTION
Prefer is a troff(1) preprocessor for bibliographic refer-
ences. It copies a document from the standard input to the
standard output, using a bibliographic database to change
symbolic references into full references ready for typeset-
ting by troff(1). Although symbolic references are in the
style of monk(1), prefer does not depend on monk. The
options are:
-n Format for nroff.
-osortkey
Under the |reference_list command, sort according to
sortkey, any combinations of the letters `a'
(author) `d' (date), and `t' (title), rather than in
database sequence. If sortkey is `sort', sort
according to the current style.
-pdbfile
Use dbfile as the bibliographic database (default
-r Format as a released paper (technical memorandum
default).
-sstyle Set the formatting style , one of `att' (default),
`acm', `apa', `ieee', `lsa', `pami', `spectrum'.
Prefer recognizes the following commands, which may appear
anywhere in a document. Parentheses () in the commands may
be replaced by any of {} [] <> .
|reference_style( style arg ...)
Switch to a new formatting style. All previous refer-
ences are forgotten and a new list of references is
begun. If style is same the current style remains (but
all previous references are forgotten). Optional args
are:
tm Format as a technical memorandum.
PREFER(1) PREFER(1)
rp Format as a released paper.
nroff Format for nroff.
troff Format for troff.
sort Print a |reference_list in an order appropri-
ate for the current style.
sequence Print a |reference_list in database sequence.
sortkey Print a |reference_list according to the
sortkey, any combination of the letters `a',
`d', `t' as above.
|reference(keywords
%ref_fields %flags)
Insert a citation mark in the current style (e.g. [7],
3, (Knuth, 1975)). One or more keywords cause selec-
tion from the bibliographic database. Each % argument
must begin a new line. %ref_field lines override
information from the database; with no keywords a com-
plete reference may be given. For the form of refer-
ence fields, see the output of penter or the paper in
Volume 2. The following %flags may modify the cita-
tion.
%no_author Exclude author information.
%no_date Exclude date from the citation mark.
%no_cite Omit the entire citation, but include
the entry in the final reference list.
%pre_text string
Insert string before the citation mark.
%post_text string
Insert string after the citation mark
|reference_include( dbfile ...)
Include the contents of the database(s) dbfile(s) in
the list of references, treating them as %no_cite
entries.
|reference_placement
Produce a list of all references specified in
|reference or |reference_include commands since the
beginning of the document or the last |reference_style
or |reference_placement.
|reference_list( dbfile ...)
Format the contents of the database(s) dbfile.
|reference_database( dbfile )
Switch to database dbfile
Penter helps build prefer bibliographic databses. It
prompts for a reference type, and then for admissible
attributes, such as author, date, etc. A default value pro-
posed in brackets [] may be accepted by typing a newline,
PREFER(1) PREFER(1)
skipped by typing spaces before the newline, or overridden
by typing a new value. The character `&' appended to an
attribute causes penter to prompt for the attribute again
(to enter multiple authors, for example).
The answer `?' to the initial prompt gets a list of all
reference types. The answer `help' gets a subprompt for a
reference type whose pertinent attributes will then be
listed. The answer `?' to the subprompt gets attributes
for every type.
The attribute also permits one entry to refer to another by
naming keywords for the other reference. An entire `also'
citation may be included within a |reference thus:
%also_begin text
%ref_fields
%also_end
The attribute keywords prompts for distinguishing keys for
the current entry, in addition to those already occurring
within author, title, etc.
The `reference type' quit causes penter to exit, first
appending the collected database information to outfile by
default).
The `attribute' ~e permits editing of the current reference
with the editor specified by environment variable EDITOR,
ed(1) by default; ~v gets the editor VISUAL, vi(1) by
default.
Pinvert creates an inverted index to one or more biblio-
graphic database files. The index is placed in file.i, where
file is the first input file. An associated file.h contains
the names of the input files. The options are:
-ccommon Do not index words listed in file common (default
-iignore Do not index information about attributes listed in
file ignore. (The default lists %volume, %number,
%part, %pages, %X (location status), %Y (read sta-
tus), %Z (comment).)
-ki Maximum number of keys kept per record (default
100).
-li Maximum length of keywords (default 6, none is less
than 3).
-pfile The basename of the index is file. Prefer will
write the index to file.i.
-v Verbose. Print statistics.
Plook uses the inverted index to retrieve bibliographic
records by keywords from the command line or the standard
input. Records that contain all the keywords in the request
PREFER(1) PREFER(1)
are sent to the standard output. Option -p is the same as
for pinvert.
Pconvert converts a refer(1) database to prefer style.
Under option -d it converts refer-style commands in a docu-
ment to prefer style.
FILES
default database
default index file
default header file containing names of databases
default list of common words
default list of %ref_fields to ignore for index-
ing
awk scripts of formatting instruc-
tions for each style
scratch file
reference type definitions, self-describing
program executed by penter
SEE ALSO
M. A. Derr, `Formatting References with Prefer', this man-
ual, Volume 2
refer(1), monk(1), troff(1)
BUGS
Prefer commands don't work immediately after certain format-
ting macros, e.g. .SM, .I, .B.
Plook complains if the first key matches more references
than it can store. Try rearranging your request so a less
common word comes first.
Pinvert does not record options -c and -l. If you use them
with pinvert, you will have to supply them for prefer and
plook as well.