[texhax] citing referenced texts

[Torsten Wagner]

H V wrote:
> I'm looking for a way to automatically cite parts of
> books divided into chapters and verses (e.g. antic
> texts, the bible...). The idea would be to have a
> command as \write{the_republic6.1}, and the result
> would be to write down the first paragraph of the
> sixth chapter of "The republic". Has anybody written a
> code for that?

There are some questions left...

Do you like to print the text at the place of citation itself or as a 
bibliography at the end of the text ?

In which form does the text exist already ?

If you like to print the text as a "reference" list and if the different 
chapters exit already in a tex-readable form, my easiest solution would 
be to modify a bibliography-style file with a new type of reference e.g. 
"myparagraphs" and to create a bib-file including entrances of type 
"myparagraphs" for all paragraphs which you like to use as reference in 
your text.

For easiness, you could start to modify a standard bib-stlye-file by 
copy the type "article" and modify it to your needs.
Style-File programming is not very complex but rather different to 
"normal" programming languages. However, there are good "How-to"s on the 
net. Just need to understand, that you have to use Reverse Polish 
Notation (RPN).

Furthermore, I can recommend the java-based program JabRef for the work 
with the bibliography-file itself.

Best regards

Torsten