# Changing default fields in entry editor

**URL:** <https://discourse.jabref.org/t/changing-default-fields-in-entry-editor/1309>\
**Category:** Help\
**Tags:** entry-editor\
**Created:** [August 20, 2018, 9:08pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/changing-default-fields-in-entry-editor/1309 "2018-08-20T21:08:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dteplow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bc8723/32.png) [@dteplow](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/dteplow)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2018, 9:08pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/changing-default-fields-in-entry-editor/1309/1 "2018-08-20T21:08:18Z")

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When I am using JR and I click to bring up the entry editor palette of entry types and then select one, JR gives me default fields. Sometimes I like them and sometimes I want to customize what fields occur in which entry type (e.g., book, inbook, etc.). Is this possible to do?

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**Author:** ![tobiasdiez](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/tobiasdiez/32/340_2.png) [@tobiasdiez](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/tobiasdiez)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2018, 10:51am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/changing-default-fields-in-entry-editor/1309/2 "2018-08-21T10:51:09Z")

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Yes this is possible, see [the help on custom entry types](http://help.jabref.org/en/CustomEntryTypes).

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**Author:** ![dteplow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bc8723/32.png) [@dteplow](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/dteplow)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2018, 5:08pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/changing-default-fields-in-entry-editor/1309/3 "2018-08-21T17:08:59Z")

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Thanks Tobias. I have read these instructions, but what I want to do still is not happening, namely to have the BibLaTeX source window automatically show the entries I want to populate. Here are screenshots of what the Customize Entry Types and BibLaTeX source windows look like. I want all the required fields to show up in the latter window. How can I do this?

Thanks,

Dave

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/jabref/original/1X/f920147c26ef5f3320ea7707d8b5759ee70c3e43.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![tobiasdiez](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/tobiasdiez/32/340_2.png) [@tobiasdiez](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/tobiasdiez)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2018, 10:29pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/changing-default-fields-in-entry-editor/1309/4 "2018-08-21T22:29:11Z")

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I fear that is currently not possible. You can modify the fields that appear in the “Required fields” tab (or “Optional fields”). When you type something into these fields, they appear in the biblatex source tab.

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**Author:** ![dteplow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bc8723/32.png) [@dteplow](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/dteplow)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/changing-default-fields-in-entry-editor/1309/5 "2018-08-21T22:49:36Z")

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Thanks again Tobias. I find this surprising considering JR must simply be rendering some kind of pref. file that would be written in plain text. At any rate, that’s why I have Typinator installed. I just hit a few letters and I populate the entry window with the fields I want and in the order I want them. Can I somehow make this a feature request? If so, where?

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**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 10:49am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/changing-default-fields-in-entry-editor/1309/6 "2018-08-23T10:49:52Z")

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The technical reason is that the bibtex source tab represents the serialized entry which would directly appear in the file and it makes no sense to add empty fields as this would maybe also confuse bibtex/biber

The other way round is possible.  
If you enter new fields in the source tab, they become visible in the entry editor tabs.

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**Author:** ![dteplow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bc8723/32.png) [@dteplow](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/dteplow)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 5:20pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/changing-default-fields-in-entry-editor/1309/7 "2018-08-23T17:20:30Z")

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Ah. I see. Thanks. I guess I’ll default my editor view to “required fields.” Thanks for the lesson!