Explain some things please:
library vs database? What does each contain and why?
Lou.
Hi,
Library = a bib file with all your entries and metadata.
database = Shared database. You can set up an external shared database e.g. PostgresSQL for collaborative work
The library gets both bib files and linked PDFs?
Is the database created by JabRef? What typically gets put into the database in this context?
---- Lou.
The library is a text file following the BibTeX or biblatex standards (depending on your settings) which is mostly readable by a human and doesn’t contain any files. This is an example of what you can expect to find in a library file. It can contain a link to the file but not the actual file.
It is not created by JabRef and it contains the same type of content as a library file.
Here is the issue with these terms ‘library’ and ‘database’. I believe these terms are used interchangeably in the help pages. In other documentation - perhaps for earlier versions - I see ‘File>New database’ instead of ‘File>New library’ in the documentation for the current version. On the page entitled Import Inspection Window, there are many instances of the word ‘database’. Are these realy meant to be ‘libraries’? If not then what real file or folder is being referred to? How do I find it? I thought Jabref didn’t generate databases. So who/what does? If the Library contains the same type of information as the database file, then what is its purpose, name and where do I find it?
What folders are the PDFs held in or saved to, original and renamed? (See help pages ‘Add entry using PDFs’ > ‘Better filenames’ > “Jabref also offers to change filenames…”), and “Importation into the database”, and “New subdatabase based on an AUX file”. This all very confusing.
I’d say yes. Unless you are dealing with a remote SQL database and you wouldn’t be doing that by accident. JabRef is trying to be consistent in its use of “library” but since, strictly speaking, a .bib file is a bibliographic database file it doesn’t always work out well.
When a file is moved or copied it is usually to the main file directory.