lookbib(1)               USER COMMANDS                 lookbib(1)



NAME
     lookbib - find references in a bibliographic database

SYNOPSIS
     /usr/ucb/lookbib database

DESCRIPTION
     A bibliographic reference is a set  of  lines,  constituting
     fields  of bibliographic information. Each field starts on a
     line beginning with a `%', followed by a key-letter, then  a
     blank, and finally the contents of the field, which may con-
     tinue until the next line starting with  `%'.   See  addbib.
     lookbib  uses an inverted index made by indxbib to find sets
     of bibliographic references. It reads keywords  typed  after
     the  `>'  prompt on the terminal, and retrieves records con-
     taining all these keywords.  If nothing matches, nothing  is
     returned  except  another  `>'  prompt.   It  is possible to
     search multiple databases, as long as  they  have  a  common
     index  made  by indxbib.  In that case, only the first argu-
     ment given to indxbib is specified to lookbib.   If  lookbib
     does  not find the index files (the .i[abc] files), it looks
     for a reference file with the same  name  as  the  argument,
     without  the suffixes.  It creates a file with a .ig suffix,
     suitable for use with fgrep (see grep).  lookbib  then  uses
     this  fgrep  file to find references. This method is simpler
     to use, but the .ig file is slower to use than  the  .i[abc]
     files,  and  does  not  allow  the use of multiple reference
     files.

FILES
     *.ia
     *.ib                index files
     *.ic

     *.ig                reference file

SEE ALSO
     addbib(1),  indxbib(1),  refer(1),  roffbib(1),  sortbib(1).
     grep(1) in the User's Reference Manual.

NOTES
     Probably all dates should be indexed, since many disciplines
     refer to literature written in the 1800s or earlier.












             Last change: BSD Compatibility Package             1