Seamless crossreferencing

Given an existing entry for, e.g., a book/edited volume, when I now want to create another entry that crossreferences the first entry, several steps are required. Several ways are possible, none of which are seamless. For example I can copy the bibtexkey of the first entry and then manually generate the second entry, then I can paste the bibtexkey from the first entry.

My suggestion is twofold a) to add a shortcut with the function “add new entry with crossref to currently selected entry”; b) in an entry that contains a crossref to show (e.g. in italics) the data that would be “inherited” from the crossreferenced entry; the user could then see that inherited data whilst adding the specific data for the new (second) entry.

One could even ponder about a related similar feature © that would work via the main table: if the user drag-drops an entry line (entry A) onto another entry line (entry B), the user could be asked whether they want to have a crossref in B to A.


Please vote if you support this proposal:

  • I would like to have this feature, too!
  • I don’t care.

0 voters

Some improvements related to the crossreffield are in the pipe:

It would be nice if the crossref entry was exported along with the calling entry when creating a citation .bib file for a paper (any|File>Export selected enties>). I find I don’t pick it up until trying to typeset and a message that the citation is unavailable appears.
Also helpful would be the ability to enter the crossref in the file field along with a pdf page number that would automatically open the paper within conference proceedings or collection… This applies where you have a pdf copy of the complete proceedings/collection/book rather than individual pdfs for each paper.

@oscar.gustafsson, I guess the first part of @jethrobelle’s suggestion

It would be nice if the crossref entry was exported along with the calling entry when creating a citation .bib file for a paper (any|File>Export selected enties>). I find I don’t pick it up until trying to typeset and a message that the citation is unavailable appears.
would fit well to context of the changes in the main table.

I imagine that @jethrobelle’s second suggestion is suggesting a qualitatively new logics. Still, I agree that it would be helpful.

@oscar your guess is spot on:-). I only raised it here because it may affect the GUI logic given the pdf access is to the crossreferenced entry file. I currently set up the crosslinked pdf at the same time I set up the crosslink: given I have the PDF open from the crosslinked entry. Currently I enter: crossref-bibtexkey pdf-page, Library Resource.

bibtex eg:file = {:AGARD1981Cfdoj p.425:Library Resource},

That means currently to open what I think could be automated requires the following manual steps:

Search for crossfef-bibtexkey
Open pdf
Type pdf-page as PFD viewer number

If automated clicking on the entry file link would open the crossref-pdf at the required page: BRILLIANT.

PS: I use file type “Library Resource” becasue JabRef lets me.
PPS: The alternative is to enter the parent file link directly in each entry, making any subsequent file changes a nighmare. I have one link (one entry only) to one file within my database, avoiding this ‘rats nest’ of links to the file system.

Just a short note regarding:

If automated clicking on the entry file link would open the crossref-pdf at the required page: BRILLIANT.

I tried this in another context an unfortunately this is not possible. The only way to achieve this is to open the file in a web browser - but this is not appropriate for a Desktop application as JabRef.

That is not a universal truth Matthias. On windows with PDF-XChange viewer the following command line works for me (with Windows path correctly set).

C:>PDFXCview /A page=10 filename.pdf

Docear, which is built on JabRef, will open directly a PDF annotation on any page from the link embedded in the mind map (using PDF-XChange viewer). That source code is available.

If this part is not implementable due to difficulty and desire to not be tied to specific pdf-viewers the remainder of my idea would be helpful.

Thank you. That is really great feature. I was worrying losing my links to the parent. I am donating 10£ from my student pocket to show my appreciation of what you are doing.

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If you are a Keyboard Maestro user (mac), here is a small script to do the “seamless crossreferencing”.

  1. copies the BibTex key of the parent
  2. creates a new incollection entry
  3. pastes the BibTex key into the crossref field of the newly created entry.

just select the parent (book) entry and click the shortcut (CMD+Alt+L)

1 Like

Thanks @Dellu - unfortunately I am not on a Mac.

Anybody else: if I may ask, is it conceivable to consider adding a function, e.g. in the contextual menu of a selected entry that specifies,

 "add new entry with crossref to currently selected entry"

?

Cheers,
Ingmar

this issue is now on github