BibTeX invocation

BibTeX creates a printable bibliography (`.bbl') file from references in a `.aux' file, generally written by TeX or LaTeX. The `.bbl' file is then incorporated on a subsequent run. The basic bibliographic information comes from `.bib' files, and a BibTeX style (`.bst') file controls the precise contents of the `.bbl' file. Synopsis:

bibtex [option]... auxfile[.aux]

The output goes to the basename of auxfile extended with `.bbl'; for example, `bibtex /wherever/foo.aux' creates `./foo.bbl'. BibTeX also writes a log file to the basename of auxfile extended with `.blg'.

The names of the `.bib' and `.bst' files are specified in the `.aux' file as well, via the `\bibliography' and `\bibliographystyle' (La)TeX macros. BibTeX searches for `.bib' files using the BIBINPUTS and TEXBIB paths, and for `.bst' files using BSTINPUTS (see section `Supported file formats' in Kpathsea). It does no path searching for `.aux' files.

The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard `-help' and `-version' (see section Common options):

`-terse'

Suppress the program banner and progress reports normally output.

`-min-crossrefs=n'

If at least n (2 by default) bibliography entries refer to another entry e via their crossref field, include e in the .bbl file, even if it was not explicitly referenced in the .aux file. For example, e might be a conference proceedings as a whole, with the cross-referencing entries being individual articles published in the proceedings. In some circumstances, you may want to avoid these automatic inclusions altogether; to do this, make n a sufficiently large number.

See also:

`btxdoc.tex'

Basic LaTeXable documentation for general BibTeX users.

`btxhak.tex'

LaTeXable documentation for style designers.

`btxdoc.bib'

BibTeX database file for the two above documents.

`xampl.bib'

Example database file with all the standard entry types.

``ftp://ftp.math.utah.edu/pub/tex/bib/''

A very large `.bib' and `.bst' collection, including references for all the standard TeX books and a complete bibliography for TUGboat.

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