RE: bib module: multiple bibs and alphabetical order

[Idris Samawi Hamid <ishamid@lamar.colostate.edu>]

Hi Taco,
Thnx for working on this! I am confused about a couple of things though...

>===== Original Message From Taco Hoekwater <taco@elvenkind.com> =====

>There is one bbl per article, but only one (global) list
>of references & publications, so, for now, your bbl files
>need to define bib items with unique keys. I hope this is
>workable for now?

In the examples I sent there was no global list. Are you saying that I need to

1. move my multiple bbl files into one global bbl file;

2. if one reference is used in more than one article, then that reference must 
be duplicated in the global bbl file but with a different key each time. That 
is, if [afghani60] is used in two articles, then I must do something like

\startpublication[k=afghani60-i,...

\startpublication[k=afghani60-ii,...

in the global file.

Is this right or am I not getting it?-)

>On the project structure: I believe a project file should be
>pure virtual, so that: the components are the articles, the
>product is the journal issue, and the project is the journals
>entire lifespan.

Hmm, I have been treating each issue of the journal as a distinct project in 
itself. Maybe for the next volume I'll try the more abstract approach. But I 
don't understand how this issue affects the bib issue.

>Such a structure would need a different solution from the one
>I have implemented now, so we may have to revisit this part
>of the module in a few weeks. Is that ok?

Ok, I appreciate all u've done up to now...

>> 2. Can t-bib extract the references and place them in alphabetical order, 
or
>> do I have to still organize my bbl files alphabetically by hand (I really 
hope
>> not->)? Automatic alphabetizing bbl file data in the output has been one of 
my
>> major wishes for t-bib.
>
>The current module cannot do this, because it is unfeasible to do
>sorting in TeX macros. I will investigate sorting through texutil
>or something similiar, but that will need more than a few days/weeks
>to implement, so definately will not be ready before tuesday.

That's ok, I have to work on the next issue right after the immediate (late) 
issue-)

>Btw, if you use bibtex, then you can do
>
>   \setupbibtex[sort=title]
>
>because then bibtex does the sorting for me. :-)

Does this mean that I have to create a global .bib file instead of a global 
.bbl file? Do I have to go back to bibtex syntax? I have have been creating 
bbl files by hand upto now...

By the way: I have been using mswincontext.zip as my stand-alone TeX 
installation, and no longer update fpTeX, etc. Since t-bib is a part of 
ConTeXt now, does it not make sense that BibTeX also be included, at least 
until it is no longer needed?

I'll test things shortly: 
Thnx for all your help!

Best
Idris

============================
Professor Idris Samawi Hamid
Department of Philosophy
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523