The BibTeX-XML-HTML Bibliography Project - How to - Detailed Description step by step

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Detailed Description step by step

This is a complete description on how to set-up and use the project files. To illustrate the different steps there is an example file at the end of some descriptions which depicts functionality in pictures.

STEP 1 - Download the project files

The first step will be to download all necessary project files.
There are two packages in the download area:
bib2xml-release.tar and xml2html.zip.

bib2xml_release.tar contains all files necessary for the translation of your BibTeX file into an XML file.
xml2html.zip contains all files necessary for the translation of XML files into HTML files.

Each of the packages contains a readme file (README.txt), providing further information on how to install and use the files.

Since the conversion tool needs an XSLT parser for the translation process, you will need to download a parser if you do not already have one. I have tested this sotware package with these two XSLT parsers:
XSLTproc and Saxon (ver. 7.1 or later).
Other XSLT parsers might work too, but I can't guarantee that they will.

STEP 2 - Preparing your BibTeX file

To utilise all the functionality the tool offers you simply have to prepare your BibTeX file. Just insert these additional fields into each entry (NOTE: Apart from the 'catId' field all other fields are optional):

catId = {}: Short Id to sign the thematical category of the paper.
url = {}: The URL of the paper (in postscript format)
urlZip = {}: The URL of the paper (in gzipped postscript format)
pdf = {}: The URL of the paper (in PDF format for Acrobat Reader)
urlPage = {}: The webpage with an abstract of the paper or with additional information on it
homePage = {}: The homepage of the first author

See the example

Step 3 - Convert BibTeX bullet

XML

Having prepared your BibTeX file you are now able to convert the BibTeX file into an XML file using the package files in »bib2xml-release.tar«. You might have to adjust some system files to use this package - see the README file in »bib2xml-release.tar« for further detailed information.

Step4 - Set the thematic categories in »definitions.xml«

The last step before generating the HTML files will be to set the config file »definitions.xml«. This file (which is a part of the package xml2html.zip) stores all information about the thematic categories you have signed in your BibTeX file (see Step 2).

For more information on how to set the different thematic categories in this file, just open »definitions.xml« which contains a detailed description and an example.

See the example

Step 5 - Convert XML bullet

HTML

Having transformed your prepared BibTeX file into an XML file and set the thematic categories in »definitions.xml« you are now ready to generate all HTML files. The stylesheet »xml2html.xsl« (found in package xml2html.zip will generate the following HTML files from your XML file with just one call:

An HTML representation of your BibTeX file »list.htm«.
This file lists ALL entries from your BibTeX file in Cambridge-like style.
See the example
Several different HTML files separated according to subject- each file contains a subject of its own.
See the example
An HTML file »overview.htm« showing all categories graphically in a table style.
See the example
Several HTML files, one for each entry - Content: the entry in its original BibTeX format.
See the example

Note:

To use the XML bibliography with LaTeX, you have to translate the XML file back into a BibTeX file. The stylesheet »xml2bib.xsl« (also found in package xml2html.zip) will do this job for you.