[OS X TeX] Who is using biblatex?

[cfrees at imapmail.org]

On Tue 30th Nov, 2010 at 15:14, Alan T Litchfield seems to have written:

>
> On 30/11/2010, at 3:04 PM, Herbert Schulz wrote:
>
>> 
>> On Nov 24, 2010, at 3:40 PM, Alan T Litchfield wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi all,
>>> 
>>> Been looking this morning at switching over to biblatex in order to remedy 
>>> an apparent problem I have with some reference types and apacite. I have 
>>> made an engine for TeXShop to run bibtex8, that's all good.
>>> ...
>> 
>> Howdy,
>> 
>> Don't know if you did this but since bibtex8 runs lust like bibtex (i.e., 
>> same sort of log output) it is possible to create a pdflatex8mk engine and 
>> corresponding configuration file. Attached is a folder with two file. Place 
>> the pdflatex8mkrc file in the ~/Library/TeXShop/bin/tslatexmk/ folder 
>> (~/Library/ is the Library folder in your HOME folder) and place the 
>> pdflatex8mkrc file in the ~/Library/TeXShop/Engines/ folder. Then place the 
>> line
>> 
>> % !TEX TS-program = pdflatex8mk
>> 
>> at the top of your source file. From then on simply typeset using 
>> Typeset->Typeset (Cmd-T) and everything that needs to be done will get 
>> done.
>> 
>> (By the way, for those that are curious, this doesn't work for biber 
>> because it's log file is very different that the one for bibtex(8).)
>> 
>> <pdflatex8mk.zip>
>
> Thanks Herb. I will give that a go but up till now I have had no luck with 
> getting an engine to work right. Something I have done wrong so I'll how 
> yours works.
>
>
>> 
>>> I don't use a bib database like BibDesk. I just use TeXshop as a text 
>>> editor to maintain the bib file and link citations.
>>> 
>> 
>> Is there a reason you don't use BibDesk? It uses the standard .bib format 
>> files and makes it easy to create and edit your .bib file. Open your .bib 
>> file with BibDesk and try it out. If you're worried save a copy of the 
>> original .bib file but I don't think there is any need to worry.
>> 
>
> No reason really except I prefer to work in as few apps as possible. I have 
> no problem with working with a text editor to find what I am looking for and 
> I keep the contents of my bib file listed by author name then date. It is 
> sectioned alphabetically. BibDesk just doesn't really do it for me, and yes I 
> have tried it. I went back to the text editor. I already know most of the 
> field structures and names so it would not add anything to how I work.

As far as I can tell, there are also advantages to not using BibDesk if
you want both to keep stuff under version control and gather all items to
which cross references may safely be made in one place.

Also, if you are picky (like me) and like your bib files to look just the
way you like them, TeXShop is a better option than BibDesk!

The one thing I would like is a way of searching more easily for keys
i.e. a way of doing this which doesn't require opening and searching
the file. But the other factors outweigh this right now.

- cfr