xBib is a transformation language on top of BibTeX, which enables the user to transform a .bib file to a more uniform output.

• General Information
• Features
• Setup
• Usage
• List of transformations
• Acknowledgements

This language and tool was created to solve some of the issues that come with handling references using BibTeX. This tool allows the user to create a more uniform BibTeX bibliography, and allows them to transform the output to their liking, on a large scale.

The language xBib reads the provided .xbib file, which describes the formatting and transformations, and the tool can compile and execute the code to transform a .bib file.

• The full argumentation and explanation is written as part of my research paper.

The language and tool allow the user to:

• Write formatting and specific transformations to a file that can be stored and used repeatedly.
• Parse provided BibTeX files and apply any .xbib file to get the desired output.

After downloading xBib.jar, you can save this file at any preferred directory. To run xBib, you simply execute java -jar [xbib directory]

• The tool requires arguments in the form xbib.jar [xBib file] [BibTeX file] [Output file] [Optional .aux file]
• An .aux file can be provided if necessary, but will be ignored when the transformations don't use it.

The user can also add a flag --flag

There are three write modes for the tool:

• --normal : the default option
• --silent : executes the code without displaying any information
• --debug : provides extra information

A help menu can be displayed using --help

An .xbib file is used to store certain transformations and formatting rules, that can later be applied to BibTeX files.

The transformations can be split up into categories and field actions.

The three categories are:

• format
• order
• content

The user can define a category using the go command, followed by the specific category. This category can then hold multiple transformations and rules that define it.

Inside of a category, a user is able to choose from three different tags:

• [enable/disable] [flag]
• set [constant] to [value(s)]
• action [function] [arguments]

example code:

go format (
    set indentation to (tab, 2),
    enable last_comma
);
go order (
    enable sort
);
go content (
    action change_type ('unpublished', 'article')
);

Lastly, field actions don't describe transformations for full entries, but change specific defined fields.

A field action requires one or multiple field names, followed by any actions that are applied.

field 'publisher' abbreviate;
field ('month','day') remove;

• This project is part of a research conducted at the University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
• This project was inspired by the work and research of BibSLEIGH