Convert Excel database or text file to BiBTeX?
David Pearson
I have been cataloging my papers in an Excel spreadsheet,
but I would now like to make this database available
to BiBTeX.
I can think of a bad way of doing it: insert columns
between the existing columns of the spreadsheet, containing
strings that would not normally be encountered
(such as QZQZQ, XCVBVCX , etc.), then output the
spreadsheet as a text file. Then change the weird
strings to BiBTeX format commands using sed or just
any old text editor.
But this is slow and cumbersome, and I would not like
to have to do each time I update my Excel database.
I would be grateful for any advice on a better way
of doing it.
Regards,
David Pearson.
--
David Pearson, Phone: +44 (0)118 9318741
ESSC, Fax: +44 (0)118 9316413
University of Reading, Email: dw...@mail.nerc-essc.ac.uk
Reading RG6 6AL,
UK. www.nerc-essc.ac.uk/~dwcp/Home.html
Wald
Anyway, I'd export the sheet to a text-like file (comma delimited or
something), and write a (perl) script to make the necessary adjustments...
Greetings,
Wald
"David Pearson" <david....@mail.nerc-essc.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:3CD12177...@mail.nerc-essc.ac.uk...
Norman Gray
David Pearson <david....@mail.nerc-essc.ac.uk> writes:
>I have been cataloging my papers in an Excel spreadsheet,
>but I would now like to make this database available
>to BiBTeX.
>I can think of a bad way of doing it:
Oooh, that's putting it mildly!
>[...] insert columns
>between the existing columns of the spreadsheet, containing
>strings that would not normally be encountered
>(such as QZQZQ, XCVBVCX , etc.), then output the
>spreadsheet as a text file. Then change the weird
>strings to BiBTeX format commands using sed or just
>any old text editor.
Dumping the spreadsheet as CSV (semicolons or tabs, say), and charging
through it with awk ('awk -F; '{printf "field=%s\n", $3}', say, prints
out the third field separated by `;') or Perl would be a much better
idea:
while (<STDIN>) { # read a line from std. input, into variable $_
@line = split (';'); # split $_ at `;', into array @line
print "@article{$line[0],\nauthor={$line[3]}\n}\n"; # print it
}
or something like that.
All the best,
Norman
--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Norman Gray http://www.astro.gla.ac.uk/users/norman/
Lucian Wischik
>I can think of a bad way of doing it: insert columns
>between the existing columns of the spreadsheet, containing
>strings that would not normally be encountered
>(such as QZQZQ, XCVBVCX , etc.), then output the
>spreadsheet as a text file. Then change the weird
>strings to BiBTeX format commands using sed or just
>any old text editor.
Sounds fine to me. Except you might as well store the strings as they'll
actually appear: "@Article{" in one column, "author=" in another column,
"}" in another column. Then export it as text.
Actually, there's another neater way. Suppose you have your excel table
like this:
msp82 Milner The Pi Calculus
ws01 Wischik Explicit Fusion Machine
then you could make a fourth column to the right of these with the formula
="@Article{"&A1&", author="""&B1&""", title="""&C1&"""}"
Then simply select this right hand column, and paste it into a text file,
and Hey Presto! you have your bibtex without the need for any intermediate
programs.
You could also wrap the formula up in
SE(A1="";"";...)
so that it remains blank unless the keyword was present. (PS. SE is what
they call the function in the Italian version I'm using. I guess it's just
IF in english.)
--
Lucian Wischik, Queens' College, Cambridge CB3 9ET. www.wischik.com/lu
Arthur Berkowicz
"David Pearson" <david....@mail.nerc-essc.ac.uk> skrev i en meddelelse
news:3CD12177...@mail.nerc-essc.ac.uk...
> Dear list,
>
> I have been cataloging my papers in an Excel spreadsheet,
> but I would now like to make this database available
> to BiBTeX.
>
Arthur