# Key generator for the \[authorsAlpha\]\[year\] style

**URL:** <https://discourse.jabref.org/t/key-generator-for-the-authorsalpha-year-style/2786>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [July 6, 2021, 9:58am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/key-generator-for-the-authorsalpha-year-style/2786 "2021-07-06T09:58:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Erivelton\_Nepomuceno](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/erivelton_nepomuceno/32/989_2.png) [@Erivelton\_Nepomuceno](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Erivelton_Nepomuceno)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 9:58am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/key-generator-for-the-authorsalpha-year-style/2786/1 "2021-07-06T09:58:39Z")

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Dear friends,

Please, could you check if JabRef version 5.3 is now working properly to key generate for

I am using:  
[authorsAlpha][year]

The result should be MBG+2016 but the system gives me MBG2016

@Article{MBG2016,  
author = {Moujahdi, C.; Bebis, G.; Ghouzali, S.; Mikram, M.; Rziza, M.},  
journal = {International Journal on Artificial Intelligence Tools},  
title = {Biometric Template Protection Using Spiral Cube: Performance and Security Analysis},  
year = {2016},  
number = {1},  
volume = {25},  
doi = {10.1142/S021821301550027X},  
}

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**Author:** ![k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz2](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/k3kaw8pnf7mkmdsmphz2/32/1116_2.png) [@k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz2](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz2)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/key-generator-for-the-authorsalpha-year-style/2786/2 "2021-07-06T16:11:49Z")

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Hello @Erivelton_Nepomuceno

The character `+` is [removed by default in citation keys](https://docs.jabref.org/setup/citationkeypatterns#removing-unwanted-characters). Can you check if `+` is in this list and if removing it fixes your issue?

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**Author:** ![Erivelton\_Nepomuceno](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/erivelton_nepomuceno/32/989_2.png) [@Erivelton\_Nepomuceno](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Erivelton_Nepomuceno)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 4:28pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/key-generator-for-the-authorsalpha-year-style/2786/3 "2021-07-06T16:28:10Z")

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In fact, I was expecting the + as described in the Jabref help:

**`[authorsAlpha]`** : Corresponds to the BibTeX style “alpha”,

- One author: First three letters of the last name

- Two to four authors: First letters of last names concatenated

- More than four authors: First letters of last names of first three authors concatenated with `+` at the end

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**Author:** ![k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz2](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/k3kaw8pnf7mkmdsmphz2/32/1116_2.png) [@k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz2](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz2)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 5:36pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/key-generator-for-the-authorsalpha-year-style/2786/4 "2021-07-06T17:36:29Z")

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I think it is a collision between old and new functionality, part of the problem is that the patterns are used for other things than citation keys. If you were to use `[authorsAlpha]` for something different than citation keys, the `+` would probably show up by default. I don’t remember why `+` was added to “unwanted characters” for citation keys, but I’d guess it caused incompatibility with some setups and is therefore removed by default from all citation keys.

As is, I expect that you have to change your preferences according to [Customize the citation key generator - JabRef](https://docs.jabref.org/setup/citationkeypatterns#removing-unwanted-characters) and remove the `+` from the list, and it should work as you expect afterward.

Perhaps the documentation for `authorsAlpha` would benefit from a link to the section of unwanted characters.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Erivelton\_Nepomuceno](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/erivelton_nepomuceno/32/989_2.png) [@Erivelton\_Nepomuceno](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Erivelton_Nepomuceno)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 6:00pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/key-generator-for-the-authorsalpha-year-style/2786/5 "2021-07-06T18:00:03Z")

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Solved. Many thanks.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz2](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/k3kaw8pnf7mkmdsmphz2/32/1116_2.png) [@k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz2](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz2)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 6:03pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/key-generator-for-the-authorsalpha-year-style/2786/6 "2021-07-06T18:03:15Z")

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Thank you for bringing it up! Hopefully, it will prevent others from having the same issue.

If you are interested and have a GitHub account, the proposed changes are in [user-documentation/citationkeypatterns.md at k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz27-patch-1 · JabRef/user-documentation · GitHub](https://github.com/JabRef/user-documentation/blob/k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz27-patch-1/en/setup/citationkeypatterns.md)

or

> <https://github.com/JabRef/user-documentation/pull/359>
>
> Nutshell version:
> I think this should be changed,
> 
> 1. \`authorsAlpha\` claim to… add a \`+\` in certain circumstances. With the current default settings of JabRef, it doesn't do that for citation keys. First changes must be made to the "unwanted characters" list.
> 2. I hope I improved the readability a bit for the other two cases.
> 
> See https://discourse.jabref.org/t/key-generator-for-the-authorsalpha-year-style/2786 for more.