A BibTeX source for fzf.
- Blazingly fast, even with large BibTeX files
- Caches results intelligently (hence the speed)
- Uses a well-understood framework to parse BibTeX (bibtool)
- Vim integration (via fzf.vim)
- Supports multiple BibTeX files
- Supports cross references (thanks to @cao)
- Supports multiple citation formats
- Basic BibLaTeX support (thanks to @ashwinvis)
To select items using fzf from a .bib file (as in image above):
bibtex-ls references.bib | fzf --multi --ansi
To cite items (using the pandoc '@' format) from a .bib file:
bibtex-ls references.bib | fzf --multi --ansi | bibtex-cite
To pretty print items (in markdown) from a .bib file:
bibtex-ls references.bib | fzf --multi --ansi | bibtex-markdown references.bib
On the Mac, these can be installed by homebrew:
brew install fzf
brew install bib-tool
brew install go
If you want vim integration:
go get github.com/msprev/fzf-bibtex/cmd/bibtex-ls
go install github.com/msprev/fzf-bibtex/cmd/bibtex-ls
go install github.com/msprev/fzf-bibtex/cmd/bibtex-markdown
go install github.com/msprev/fzf-bibtex/cmd/bibtex-cite
bibtex-ls [-cache=...] [file1.bib file2.bib ...]
Lists to stdout the content of .bib files, one record per line.
If the following environment variables are set, then these command line arguments can be omitted.
FZF_BIBTEX_CACHEDIR: path to a cache directoryFZF_BIBTEX_SOURCES: path to bibtex file; multiple items separated by a ':'
The cache directory should be a suitable directory for bibtex-ls temporary files. Parsing BibTeX databases is computationally intensive, so the command caches the results. The cache is updated if the underlying BibTeX file has been changed. If no cache directory is specified, the operating system's directory for temporary files is used.
(NB. If you are tinkering with fzf-bibtex's codebase, beware of outdated caches.
Cache is only updated if the underlying BibTeX file has been changed.
If you change the fzf-bibtex codebase, make sure to flush the cache by touching the BibTeX files, or deleting the cache, before you run new code on them).
bibtex-cite [-mode=pandoc|latex] [-prefix=...] [-postfix=...] [-separator=...]
Pretty print citations for selected entries passed over stdin.
Citation format may be customised with -prefix, -postfix, and -separator options.
Default values (suitable for pandoc '@' format):
-prefix="@"-postfix=""-separator="; @"
Legacy -mode option provides presets for pandoc and LaTeX style
citations. -mode options:
-mode=pandoc=-prefix="@" -postfix="" -separator="; @"-mode=latex=-prefix="\cite{" -postfix="}" -separator=", "
bibtex-markdown [-cache=...] [file1.bib file2.bib ...]
Pretty print items (in markdown) for selected .bib entries passed over stdin.
Cache directory may be set using the same environment variable as bibtex-ls.
Assuming the executables installed above are available to Vim in your file path, add this to your vimrc file:
let $FZF_BIBTEX_CACHEDIR = 'PATH-TO-CACHE-DIR'
let $FZF_BIBTEX_SOURCES = 'PATH-TO-BIBTEX-FILE'
function! s:bibtex_cite_sink(lines)
let r=system("bibtex-cite ", a:lines)
execute ':normal! a' . r
endfunction
function! s:bibtex_markdown_sink(lines)
let r=system("bibtex-markdown ", a:lines)
execute ':normal! a' . r
endfunction
nnoremap <silent> <leader>c :call fzf#run({
\ 'source': 'bibtex-ls',
\ 'sink*': function('<sid>bibtex_cite_sink'),
\ 'up': '40%',
\ 'options': '--ansi --layout=reverse-list --multi --prompt "Cite> "'})<CR>
nnoremap <silent> <leader>m :call fzf#run({
\ 'source': 'bibtex-ls',
\ 'sink*': function('<sid>bibtex_markdown_sink'),
\ 'up': '40%',
\ 'options': '--ansi --layout=reverse-list --multi --prompt "Markdown> "'})<CR>
<leader>c will bring up fzf to insert citation to selected items.
<leader>m will bring up fzf to insert pretty markdown versions of selected items.
An insert mode mapping, typing '@@' brings up fzf to insert a citation:
function! s:bibtex_cite_sink_insert(lines)
let r=system("bibtex-cite ", a:lines)
execute ':normal! a' . r
call feedkeys('a', 'n')
endfunction
inoremap <silent> @@ <c-g>u<c-o>:call fzf#run({
\ 'source': 'bibtex-ls',
\ 'sink*': function('<sid>bibtex_cite_sink_insert'),
\ 'up': '40%',
\ 'options': '--ansi --layout=reverse-list --multi --prompt "Cite> "'})<CR>
An alternative insert mode mapping that detects .bib files in parent, current or child directories (thanks to @ashwinvis):
function! Bibtex_ls()
let bibfiles = (
\ globpath('.', '*.bib', v:true, v:true) +
\ globpath('..', '*.bib', v:true, v:true) +
\ globpath('*/', '*.bib', v:true, v:true)
\ )
let bibfiles = join(bibfiles, ' ')
let source_cmd = 'bibtex-ls '.bibfiles
return source_cmd
endfunction
function! s:bibtex_cite_sink_insert(lines)
let r=system("bibtex-cite ", a:lines)
execute ':normal! a' . r
call feedkeys('a', 'n')
endfunction
inoremap <silent> @@ <c-g>u<c-o>:call fzf#run({
\ 'source': Bibtex_ls(),
\ 'sink*': function('<sid>bibtex_cite_sink_insert'),
\ 'up': '40%',
\ 'options': '--ansi --layout=reverse-list --multi --prompt "Cite> "'})<CR>
fzf-bibtex uses bibtool to parse BibTeX files. If there is an error, it is likely that your BibTeX file is not being parsed correctly. You can locate the cause, and correct it, by running bibtool directly on your BibTeX file from the command line. Look at any errors reported from:
bibtool references.bib -o parsed.bib
The BibTeX fields that fzf-bibtex asks bibtool to extract from your file
can be seen by running bibtool with this rsc file:
expand.macros = On
expand.crossref = On
preserve.keys = On
preserve.key.case = On
print.line.length { 1000 }
keep.field { date }
keep.field { author }
keep.field { title }
keep.field { year }
keep.field { journal }
keep.field { journaltitle }
keep.field { booktitle }
keep.field { editor }
keep.field { publisher }
keep.field { address }
keep.field { location }
keep.field { pages }
keep.field { school }
keep.field { volume }
keep.field { url }
rename.field { year = date if year = ".+" }
add.field { year = "%-4.1d(date)" }
new.entry.type{Article}
new.entry.type{Book}
new.entry.type{MVBook}
new.entry.type{InBook}
new.entry.type{BookInBook}
new.entry.type{SuppBook}
new.entry.type{Booklet}
new.entry.type{Collection}
new.entry.type{MVCollection}
new.entry.type{InCollection}
new.entry.type{SuppCollection}
new.entry.type{Manual}
new.entry.type{Misc}
new.entry.type{Online}
new.entry.type{Patent}
new.entry.type{Periodical}
new.entry.type{SuppPeriodical}
new.entry.type{Proceedings}
new.entry.type{MVProceedings}
new.entry.type{Reference}
new.entry.type{MVReference}
new.entry.type{Inreference}
new.entry.type{Report}
new.entry.type{Set}
new.entry.type{Thesis}
new.entry.type{Unpublished}
new.entry.type{Cdata}
new.entry.type{CustomA}
new.entry.type{CustomB}
new.entry.type{CustomC}
new.entry.type{CustomD}
new.entry.type{CustomE}
new.entry.type{CustomF}
new.entry.type{Conference}
new.entry.type{Electronic}
new.entry.type{MasterThesis}
new.entry.type{PhdThesis}
new.entry.type{TechReport}
new.entry.type{WWW}
new.entry.type{Artwork}
new.entry.type{Audio}
new.entry.type{BibNote}
new.entry.type{Commentary}
new.entry.type{Image}
new.entry.type{Jurisdiction}
new.entry.type{Legislation}
new.entry.type{Legal}
new.entry.type{Letter}
new.entry.type{Movie}
new.entry.type{Music}
new.entry.type{Performance}
new.entry.type{Review}
new.entry.type{Software}
new.entry.type{Standard}
new.entry.type{Video}
new.entry.type{XData}
- 1.1 (17 February 2020)
- support arbitrary citation formats
- 1.0 (4 November 2018)
- first version
- unite-bibtex -- no longer maintained; this replaces it.