Re: [Axiom-developer] Axiom bibliography

[Bob McElrath]

C Y address@hidden wrote:
> > The contents of the \cite{} should identify the
> > paper, rather than the local bibliography ('axiombib') to look in. 
> 
> Well... I would prefer it that cite references axiombib first and gets
> the URL from that, and if it is not present there goes elsewhere.

The local database would still be kept, and periodically updated from
external database queries.  Sorry for the confusion -- I always intended
that.  Solely external lookups would be slow and error prone.  So all
lookups would look in the local database first, then go to arXiv/ADS/etc
if the requested entry isn't already in the local database.

I was thinking this afternoon that the footnote could be "This citation
is not in the database.  Reload to see it."  Where in between the server
would be interrogating arXiv (etc) servers.  Or "This citation could not
be found in any databases.  Click here to enter it manually."

> What about papers that are not listed in any of the major online
> references?  I think we have to allow for an updated axiom.bib, but I
> agree automating as much of it as possible through connections with
> servers is a Good Thing.

Of course manual entry would be possible, but I hope that it would be
rare.

> > If you want to process a pamphlet in latex it's easy enough to
> > extract the bibtex entries used and export them.
> 
> Maybe, but what if an online archive changes their format and decides
> not to allow simple automation of bibtex entry downloads?  How will we
> store annotations?  I think a local solution that is refreshed and
> updated periodically will be the best compromise - we always have
> something that works locally (also for offline editing, which does
> happen), but it is kept current with developments elsewhere.

Well that's an unfortunate possibility that would have to be dealt with.
Fortunately, the number of databases is large.  But yes, the loss of a
database would suck.

If that happened though we'd still have the local database of references
*used* on the site.  We just wouldn't be able to obtain new ones.

--
Cheers,
Bob McElrath [Univ. of California at Davis, Department of Physics]

    "It is almost universally felt that when we call a country
    democratic we are praising it; consequently, the defenders of every
    kind of regime claim that it is a democracy, and fear that they
    might have to stop using the word if it were tied down to any one
    meaning." -- George Orwell

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