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bibtex2html: documentation

bibtex2html is a BibTeX to HTML translator. It is invocated as

bibtex2html [options] file.bib

where the possible options are described below and where file.bib is the name of the BibTeX file, which must have a .bib suffix. Then two HTML documents are created:

file.html which is the bibliography in HTML format, like this;
file-bib.html which contains all the entries in ASCII format, like this.

bibtex is called on file.bib in order to produce the a LaTeX document, and then this LaTeX document is translated into an HTML document. The BibTeX file file.bib is also parsed in order to collect additional fields (abstract, url, ps, http, etc.) that will be used in the translation.

Additional fields and automatic web links

The main interest of bibtex2html with respect to a traditional LaTeX to HTML translator is the use of additional fields in the BibTeX database and the automatic insertion of web links.

A link is inserted:

at each cross-reference inside the bibliography entries;
when the \url LaTeX macro is used in the text;
for each BibTeX field whose name is "ftp", "http", "url", "ps" ,"dvi", "rtf", "pdf", "documenturl", "urlps" or "urldvi". The name of this link depends on the nature of the link or file specified:
- a suffix .dvi will give a link named "DVI";
- a suffix .ps will give a link named "PS";
- a suffix .pdf will give a link named "PDF";
- a suffix .rtf will give a link named "RTF";
- any other filename will give a link named "Available here".
An additional suffix .gz, .Z or .zip will add the prefix "Compressed" before the file format.
The file format is prefixed You can insert web link for other fields with the option -f (see below).

See the result on this example.

Abstracts

If a BibTeX entry contains a field abstract then its contents is quoted right after the bibliography entry, like this.

This behavior may be suppressed with the option --no-abstract.

If you want both versions with and without abstracts, use the option --both. In that case, links named "Abstract" will be inserted from the page without abstracts to the page with abstracts, like this.

Command line options

Most of the command line options have a short version of one character (e.g. -r) and an easy-to-remember/understand long version (e.g. --reverse-sort).

General aspect of the HTML document

-t string, --title string: specify the title of the HTML file (default is the file name).
-s string, --style string: use BibTeX style string (plain, alpha, etc.). Default style is plain.
-noabstract, --no-abstract: do not print the abstracts (if any).
-both, --both: produce both pages with and without abstracts. If the BibTeX file is foo.bib then the two pages will be respectively foo.html and foo-abstracts.html (The suffix may be different, see option --suffix). Links are inserted from the page without abstracts to the page with abstracts.
-nokeys, --no-keys: do not print the cite keys.
-f field, --field field: add a web link for that BibTeX field.
-multiple, --multiple: make a separate web page for each entry. Beware: this option produces as many HTML files as BibTeX entries!

Controlling the translation

-m file, --macros-from file: read the LaTeX macros in the given file.

Sorting the entries

-d, --sort-by-date: sort by date.
-a, --sort-as-bibtex: sort as BibTeX (usually by author).
-u, --unsorted: unsorted i.e. same order as in .bib file (default).
-r, --reverse-sort: reverse the sort.
-e key, --exclude key: exclude an entry.

Miscellaneous options

-nodoc, --nodoc: do not produce a full HTML document but only its body (useful to merge the HTML bibliography in a bigger HTML document).
-suffix string, --suffix string: give an alternate suffix string for the HTML documents (default is .html).
-c file, --command file: specify the BibTeX command (default is bibtex). Useful if bibtex is not in your path.
-i, --ignore-errors: ignore BibTeX errors.
-h, --help: print a short usage and exit.
-v, --version: print the version and exit.