# Customize export format in JabREF

**URL:** <https://discourse.jabref.org/t/customize-export-format-in-jabref/3615>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [November 4, 2022, 9:31am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/customize-export-format-in-jabref/3615 "2022-11-04T09:31:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sdev](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@sdev](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/sdev)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 9:31am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/customize-export-format-in-jabref/3615/1 "2022-11-04T09:31:20Z")

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Hi all,

Basically I’m totally bad with coding (sorry for that and I did not understand the help on the customized export layout …) but I want to export my jabref library into a csv file but with customized format as the default format does not fit what I want to do (i.e. importing the references within a mySQL database to link data to references, my engineer asks me for a specific format).

What I need is : authors, title, year, journal, volume, page and label-endnote and that’s it. No need to have the abstract, no need to have the reference cited and all other informations in the default format.

Does someone can help me ?  
Thanks in advance

Cheers

Sébastien

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**Author:** ![mlep](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/mlep/32/387_2.png) [@mlep](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/mlep)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 9:52am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/customize-export-format-in-jabref/3615/2 "2022-11-04T09:52:44Z")

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Hello Sébastien,  
I am not sure what you call the “default format”, but, to me, it looks like the information can be set in the required format without programming: first, export your library in CSV format, and then remove/reorder the various columns in a spreadsheet.  
For the export: File → Export → Export all entries. Then, type in a file name, select the format OpenOffice/LibreOffice CSV, and press Save.

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**Author:** ![sdev](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@sdev](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/sdev)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 9:55am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/customize-export-format-in-jabref/3615/3 "2022-11-04T09:55:56Z")

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thanks a lot.

Of course I have tried it but the generated csv file is quite spurious as each reference is not represented by a single row, some fields such as the cited references one appears on multiple lines which makes the csv file not operational.  
So I guess that reducing the number of fields in the export should solve this issue.  
In addition the field “label-endnote” is not exported by the default procedure you mentioned.

Cheers

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**Author:** ![mlep](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/mlep/32/387_2.png) [@mlep](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/mlep)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 10:25am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/customize-export-format-in-jabref/3615/4 "2022-11-04T10:25:24Z")

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Since I have no cited references in my library, I do not have this issue of multiple lines. Maybe you could remove this information on a copy of your library, and then export it?

The OpenOffice/LibreOffice CSV export filter does not involve much programming. You will find the filter here: [jabref/src/main/resources/resource/layout/openoffice at main · JabRef/jabref · GitHub](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/tree/main/src/main/resources/resource/layout/openoffice)  
The file openoffice-csv.begin.layout is just the CSV file header.  
The openoffice-csv.layout sets the actual export format. If you had ,“\label-endnote” to it, you should get it in your exported file.

To use your customized export format, go to Options → Preferences, and then “Custom export formats”. Note that the first section of [Custom export filters - JabRef](https://docs.jabref.org/collaborative-work/export/customexports) needed some updating; it should be OK now.

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**Author:** ![sdev](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@sdev](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/sdev)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 11:00am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/customize-export-format-in-jabref/3615/5 "2022-11-04T11:00:54Z")

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Thanks a lot … I’m pretty successful thanks to your help.

I have customized the .layout file with the required information and now the .csv file is OK (one row per reference).  
However, I have added “\Label-endnote” in the file ans in the .csv file I do not have the label which is supposed to be something like B101 for each reference but only -label in all the rows. I have tried with and without the comma, same thing. In Jabber, the fiels Label-endnote appears in the “other field” menu for each reference and is well called “Label-endnote”.

Do you what could happen with this field ?

Cheers

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**Author:** ![mlep](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/mlep/32/387_2.png) [@mlep](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/mlep)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 12:11pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/customize-export-format-in-jabref/3615/6 "2022-11-04T12:11:46Z")

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> [@sdev](#):
>
> the label which is supposed to be something like B101 for each reference but only -label in all the rows.

I wonder if the dash is not interpretated by JabRef as a special character…  
Maybe you could rename the field into something like “Labelendnote”? (Select your entries, Edit → Automatic Field editor, tab “Rename field”).

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**Author:** ![sdev](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@sdev](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/sdev)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 12:30pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/customize-export-format-in-jabref/3615/7 "2022-11-04T12:30:33Z")

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It works perfectly now !!

Thank you very much for your help I have my .csv file as I want !

Cheers

Sébastien

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mlep](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/mlep/32/387_2.png) [@mlep](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/mlep)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2022, 1:09pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/customize-export-format-in-jabref/3615/8 "2022-11-04T13:09:28Z")

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You are welcome!

_JabRef is helping you on a regular basis? Please, [find a way of giving back](https://docs.jabref.org/faqcontributing)._

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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:** [November 4, 2022, 8:58pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/customize-export-format-in-jabref/3615/9 "2022-11-04T20:58:59Z")

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@sdev Took me a while to find this, but I remembered that others had a similar issue and there was a workaround/solution as well for allowing dashes

> [@Custom export file with Mendeley tags?](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/custom-export-file-with-mendeley-tags/2112/3):
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> @Siedlerchr in case someone else (re-)encounters this topic. “formatters” allow more characters in the field name. The example with mendeley-tags can be “solved” using the Default formattor with an empty argument \format[Default()]{\mendeley-tags}

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**Author:** ![Nam\_Le](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/nam_le/32/2021_2.png) [@Nam\_Le](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Nam_Le)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 2:48pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/customize-export-format-in-jabref/3615/10 "2024-09-17T14:48:29Z")

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> [@mlep](#):
>
> ts the actual export format

Do we need to add these two files into the  
Custome Export Format under Preference

What should be the Export Name and Extension for these two