[sword-devel] Bibtex for modules

[Daniel Owens]

On 01/11/2011 11:27 AM, Trevor Jenkins wrote:
> On Mon, 10 Jan 2011, Peter von Kaehne<refdoc at gmx.net>  wrote:
>
>> Modules really should have bibtex or something similar in their conf
>> file. This would improve the use of our library for academic purposes.
> I don't understand this.
>
> First, I don't understand why a system's internal file format needs to be
> changed to accommodate the whimsey and caprice of a particular group.
> There is no BibTeX parser within Sword. If any new format for .conf files
> were to be proposed, and I'm not arguing that it should, some XMLisation
> would be a better choice.
>
> Second, I don't understand what a "library" (in some sense from above)
> having to do with the internal workings of Sword has anything to do with
> academic acceptance. Unless you mean that academics ought to be persuaded
> to use a Sword module over the equvialent encapsulation from from e-Sword
> or Accordance.
>
>> We have talked about this a while ago.
> I don't recall the discussion. Refresh my memory, please.
>
>> I think we reached some sort of agreement that Bibtex entries should be
>> added to the conf file, though beyond the principle we did not move. Nor
>> has anyone committed any code.
> Are you suggesting that BibTeX entries be embedded within .conf files? In
> addition to the existing format of the files?
>
> Regards, Trevor
>
>
As a PhD student, I personally think this would be very helpful. Many 
different bibliographic database programs can import BibTeX data, so it 
makes getting information into programs like Zotero (a Firefox extension 
that is the most popular choice among my colleauges) very easy. If the 
data is embedded in the conf file, then conf files online are a ready 
source of bibliographic data for someone seeking to cite a source in 
SWORD. This came home to me when I was preparing a paper for my 
application to the PhD program I am now in, and I had to find the 
bibliographic information for Aquinas' Summa. It took a bit of effort, 
but BibTeX data would have saved me the time and headache. It is yet 
another enticement to users to start using SWORD.

Daniel