Re: [AUCTeX-devel] RefTeX: "Create BibTeX file" with cross references

[Ralf Angeli]

Please keep the mailing list copied.  Full quote follows.

* Wolfgang Mayer (2008-05-02) writes:

> On 02/05/08 16:24, Ralf Angeli wrote:
>> Thanks.  Before I look at the code, could you perhaps describe with a
>> small example what the code does and why it is needed?
>
> Consider a BibTeX database that contains (among others) the following 
> definitions:
>
> @String{AI-MAG = "AI Magazine"}
> @InProceedings{aadebug/ConsoleFD93,
>    author =       "Luca Console and Gerhard Friedrich and Daniele Theseider
>                    Dupr{\'e}",
>    title =        "Model-Based Diagnosis Meets Error Diagnosis in Logic
>                    Programs (Extended Abstract).",
>    booktitle =    {AADEBUG},
>    year =         1993,
>    pages =        "85--87",
>    crossref =     "aadebug/1993",
>    bibsource =    "DBLP, http://dblp.uni-trier.de";,
> }
> @Proceedings{aadebug/1993,
>    editor =       "Peter Fritszon",
>    title =        "Automated and Algorithmic Debugging, First International
>                    Workshop, {AADEBUG}'93, Link{\"o}ping, Sweden, May 3-5,
>                    1993, Proceedings",
>    booktitle =    "AADEBUG",
>    publisher =    springer,
>    series =       LNCS,
>    volume =       749,
>    year =         1993,
>    ISBN =         "3-540-57417-4",
>    bibsource =    "DBLP, http://dblp.uni-trier.de";,
> }
> @Article{laf88,
>    author =       "T. J. Laffey and P. A. Cox and J. L. Schmidt and
>                    S. M. Kao and J. Y. Read",
>    title =        "Real-Time Knowledge-Based Systems",
>    journal =      AI-MAG,
>    year =         1988,
>    volume =       9,
>    number =       1,
>    pages =        "27--45",
> }
>
>
> If your .tex document contains \cite{aadebug/ConsoleFD93}, the unpatched 
> version of reftex-create-bibtex-file would only include the 
> aadebug/ConsoleFD93 
> entry, but not the referenced aadebug/1993 entry. Hence, when using the 
> created 
> BibTeX database, some of the attributes (e.g., volume) that are inherited 
> from 
> the referenced entry would not be present.
>
> Similarly, if \cite{laf88} is being referenced in a .tex document, the string 
> definition of AI-MAG would not be included. Hence, some citations would be 
> typeset incorrectly when using the create .bib file as sole source for 
> citations.
>
> My patch aims to address both cases: include referenced entries and string 
> definitions, such that the resulting .bib file is sufficiently complete to be 
> used as standalone BibTeX database.

Okay, thanks for the explanation.

>> Also, it will only be possible to include the patch in RefTeX proper if
>> you assigned the copyright to the FSF.  Do you have a copyright
>> assignment for RefTeX or Emacs in place or would you be willing to sign
>> one?  (The copyright assignment requirement is why I haven't looked at
>> the code yet.)
>
> I don't have one in place, but am willing to sign one. Where do I get this 
> from?

I'll send you a request form in private.

-- 
Ralf