BIBCLEAN 1 "09 May 1998" "Version 2.11.4" [section 8 of 12]

SCRIBE BIBLIOGRAPHY FORMAT

The BibTeX bibliography format was strongly influenced by Scribe, and indeed, with care, it is possible to share bibliography files between the two systems. Nevertheless, there are some differences, so here is a summary of features of the Scribe bibliography file format:

(1)

Letter case is not significant in field names and entry names, but case is preserved in value strings.

(2)

In field/value pairs, the field and value may be separated by one of three characters: =, /, or space. Space may optionally surround these separators.

(3)

Value delimiters are any of these seven pairs: { } [ ] ( ) < > ' ' " " ` `

(4)

Value delimiters may not be nested, even though with the first four delimiter pairs, nested balanced delimiters would be unambiguous.

(5)

Delimiters can be omitted around values that contain only letters, digits, sharp (#), ampersand (&), period (.), and percent (%).

(6)

Outside of delimited values, a literal at-sign (@) is represented by doubled at-signs (@@).

(7)

Bibliography entries begin with @name, as for BibTeX, but any of the seven Scribe value delimiter pairs may be used to surround the values in field/value pairs. As in (4), nested delimiters are forbidden.

(8)

Arbitrary space may separate entry names from the following delimiters.

(9)

@Comment is a special command whose delimited value is discarded. As in (4), nested delimiters are forbidden.

(10)

The special form

@Begin{comment}
 ...
@End{comment}

permits encapsulating arbitrary text containing any characters or delimiters, other than ``@End{comment}''. Any of the seven delimiter pairs may be used around the word ``comment'' following the ``@Begin'' or ``@End''; the delimiters in the two cases need not be the same, and consequently, ``@Begin{comment}''/``@End{comment}'' pairs may not be nested.

(11)

The key field is required in each bibliography entry.

(12)

A backslashed quote in a string will be assumed to be a TeX accent, and braced appropriately. While such accents do not conform to Scribe syntax, Scribe-format bibliographies have been found that appear to be intended for TeX processing.