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# Bibiman
[](https://nogithub.codeberg.page/)
`bibiman` is a simple terminal user interface for handling your BibLaTeX
database as part of a terminal-based scientific workflow.
Here's a small impression how it looks and works:
[](https://postimg.cc/xJKQ2tB1)
## Installation
For now, `bibiman` is only available via Codeberg. You have to build it from
source yourself using `cargo` and `rustup`:
```bash
git clone https://codeberg.org/lukeflo/bibiman
cd bibiman
# Build the binary to /target/release
cargo build --release
# optional: create symlink:
ln -sf /target/release/bibiman ~/.local/bin
# OR
# Install the binary to CARGO_HOME/bin which normally is in PATH
cargo install --path=. --locked
```
If you use the symlink option, you have to make sure that the directory
containing the symlink is in your `PATH`.
## Usage
You need to pass a single `.bib` file as first positional argument:
`bibiman /path/to/bibfile.bib`
Of course, this can be aliased if you only use one main file. E.g. in
`.bashrc`/`.zshrc`:
`alias bibi=bibiman /path/to/bibfile.bib`
## Features
For now, `bibiman` only has some very basic features implemented which are
important for my personal workflow. There are more to come, the list will be
updated:
- [x] **Browse** through the bib entries using _Vim-like keybindings_ and a
_fuzzy search_ mode.
- [x] **Filter** the bib entries by _keywords_ (and afterwards filter further by
fuzzy searching).
- [x] **Edit** the current entry by opening a _terminal-based editor_ at the
specific line.
- [x] **Yank/Copy** the citekey of the current entry to the system clipboard.
- [x] **Open related PDF** file (`file` BibLaTeX key) with keypress.
- [x] **Open related URL/DOI** with keypress.
- [x] **Scrollbar** for better navigating.
- [x] **Sort Entries** by each column (`Authors`, `Title`, `Year`, `Pubtype`)
- [ ] **Open related notes file** for specific entry.
- [ ] **Add Entry via DOI** as formatted code.
- [ ] **Implement config file** for setting some default values like main
bibfile, PDF-opener, or editor
- [ ] **Support Hayagriva(`.yaml`)** format as input (_on hold for now_, because
the Hayagriva Yaml style doesn't offer keywords; s. issue in
[Hayagriva repo](https://github.com/typst/hayagriva/issues/240)).
## Keybindings
Use the following keybindings to manage the TUI:
| Key | Action |
| -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| `j`,`k` \| `Down`,`Up` | Move down/up by 1 |
| `Ctrl-d`,`Ctrl-u` | Move down/up by 5 |
| `g`,`G` | Go to first/last entry |
| `h`,`k` | Select previous/next entry column |
| `s` | Sort current column (toggles) |
| `PageDown`,`PageUp` \| `Alt-j`,`Alt-k` | Scroll Info window |
| `y` | Yank/copy citekey of selected entry |
| `e` | Open editor at selected entry |
| `o` \| `u` | Open related PDF \| URL/DOI |
| `TAB` | Switch between entries and keywords |
| `/`,`Ctrl-f` | Enter search mode |
| `Enter` | Filter by selected keyword / Confirm search |
| `ESC` | Abort search / Reset current list |
| `q`,`Ctrl-c` | Quit TUI |
## Search
The search mode uses the `nucleo-matcher` crate. Thus, _fuzzy searching_ is
enabled by default. You can use some special chars to alter pattern matching:
- `^...` matches literally at beginning of the string.
- `...$` matches literally at end of the string.
- `'...` matches literally everywhere in string.
## Edit bib entry
For now, the TUI only supports editors set through the environment variables
`VISUAL` and `EDITOR` in this order. The fallback solution is `vi`.
I've tested the following editors (set as value of `VISUAL`):
- [x] **Helix**: `export VISUAL="hx"`
- [x] **Vim/Neovim**: `export VISUAL="vim/nvim"`
- [x] **Emacs (Terminal)**: `export VISUAL="emacs -nw"`
- [x] **Nano**: `export VISUAL="nano"`
- [x] **Emacs (GUI)**: `export VISUAL="emacs"` (open emacs in separate window,
blocks the terminal running `bibiman` as long as emacs is opened)
Feel free to try other editors and report. Important is that the editor supports
the argument `+..` to set the line number that the cursor should be placed at.
Otherwise, the functionality might not work properly.
While this behaviour is most likely supported on UNIX-based systems (Linux,
MacOS), it might not work under Windows. I can't test it on a Windows machine,
thus, there might be unexpected errors with it.
## Open connected files or links
Now, `bibiman` also provides the possibility to open PDFs (as value of the
`file` BibLaTeX field), as well as DOIs and URLs.
For selecting the right program, it uses `xdg-open` on Linux, `open` on MacOS,
and `start` on Windows. Thanks to the report from @bastislack in #2 MacOS seems
to work.
_However, Windows does not work. Have to figure this out. Reports from some
Windows users are very welcome. Reports from some Windows users are very
welcome._
Furthermore, DOIs have to begin with either `https://doi...` as full URL or
`10.(...)` as regular DOI style. URLs work if they begin with either `http...`
or with `www...`.
## Issues and code improvement
This is my first Rust project and, thus, also a learning process. If you find
any issues or code flaws, please open an issue. I plan to make PRs possible in
the future when its a little bit less early alpha state.
## Alternatives
`bibiman` is a project tailored to my personal needs. I use a single main file
for all my bib entries and want to use `bibiman` mainly as kind of
(terminal)-graphical wrapper for often emerging tasks, since I work in the
terminal most of the time.
I used `JabRef` for many years, but its way to bloated in my eyes. There exists
a bunch of other graphical tools...
But there are also some TUI alternatives with slightly different approaches.
Maybe one of these might fit _your_ personal needs better:
- [bibman (Haskell)](https://codeberg.org/KMIJPH/bibman): A very nice CLI
program including a TUI I also used for some times. It has way more CLI
features (export etc.) at the moment. The main difference is that its based on
a multi file approach. If you also use a separate file per entry, look there!
- [bibman (Python)](https://github.com/ductri/bibman): A TUI written in Python
with focus on Zotero-like functions. If you're used to Zotero, this might be a
good fit.
- [bibman (Perl)](https://github.com/maciejjan/bibman): A fast and simple TUI
written in good ol' Perl. It looks like back in the days, but seems not being
maintained anymore.
- [cobib](https://github.com/mrossinek/cobib): Very elaborated bib manager with
CLI and TUI functions.
- [papis](https://github.com/papis/papis): Powerful CLI tool for managing
bibliographies and documents. Has also some TUI features.
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