| title | helpCategories | |
|---|---|---|
Command line use and options |
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Although JabRef is primarily a GUI based application, it offers several command line options that may be useful, and can even perform file conversion operations without opening the graphical interface. The command line options are only available when using the JAR version of JabRef. You can directly download the JAR file from our download site, or, if you already have installed JabRef, you can find the file in your installation folder.
java -jar JabRef.jar [OPTIONS] [BIBTEX_FILE]
Note: you may have to replace JabRef.jar by the actual name of the .jar file.
You can always specify one or more BibTeX files to load by simply listing their filenames.
Take care to specify all options before your list of file names.
Ensure that the first file name is not misunderstood as being an argument for an option; this simply means that if a boolean option like -n or -l immediately precedes a file name, add the word true as an argument.
For instance, the command line:
java -jar JabRef.jar -o filetoexport.xml,docbook -n true original.bib
will correctly load the file original.bib, export it in docbook format to filetoexport.xml, and suppress the GUI.
The word true prevents the file name from being interpreted as an argument to the -n option.
[-a <FILE>] [-asfl] [-b] [-d <FILE>] [--debug] [-f <FILE>] [-g] [-h] [-i <FILE>] [--importToOpen <FILE>] [-m <FILE>] [-n] [-o <FILE>] [-p <FILE>] [-v] [-x <FILE>]
(or --help)
Displays a summary of the command line options, including the list of available import and export formats.
usage: jabref [OPTIONS] [BIBTEX_FILE]
Options: [-a <FILE>] [-asfl] [-b] [-d <FILE>] [--debug] [-f <FILE>] [-g]
[-h] [-i <FILE>] [--importToOpen <FILE>] [-l] [-m <FILE>] [-n] [-o
<FILE>] [-p <FILE>] [-v] [-x <FILE>]
-a,--aux <FILE> Subdatabase from aux:
file[.aux],new[.bib]
-asfl,--automaticallySetFileLinks Automatically set file links
-b,--blank Do not open any files at startup
-d,--prdef <FILE> Reset preferences (key1,key2,... or
'all')
--debug Show debug level messages
-f,--fetch <FILE> Run Fetcher, e.g.
"--fetch=Medline:cancer"
-g,--generateBibtexKeys Regenerate all keys for the entries
in a BibTeX file
-h,--help Display help on command line options
-i,--import <FILE> Import file: filename[,import format]
--importToOpen <FILE> Import to open tab
-l,--loads Load session
-m,--exportMatches <FILE> [field]searchTerm,outputFile:
file[,exportFormat]
-n,--nogui No GUI. Only process command line
options.
-o,--output <FILE> Output or export file:
filename[,export format]
-p,--primp <FILE> Import preferences from file
-v,--version Display version
-x,--prexp <FILE> Export preferences to file
Available import formats:
BibTeX : bibtex
BibTeXML : bibtexml
Biblioscape : biblioscape
Copac : cpc
INSPEC : inspec
ISI : isi
MSBib : msbib
Medline : medline
MedlinePlain : medlineplain
Ovid : ovid
PDFcontent : pdfcontent
REPEC New Economic Papers (NEP) : repecnep
RIS : ris
Refer/Endnote : refer
SilverPlatter : silverplatter
Sixpack : sixpack
XMP-annotated PDF : xmpannotatedpdf
text citations : textcitations
Available export formats: MSBib, bibordf, bibtexml, din1505, docbook,
endnote, harvard, html, iso690rtf, iso690txt, listrefs, misq, mods,
mysql, ods, oocalc, oocsv, postgresql, ris, simplehtml, tablerefs,
tablerefsabsbib
Please report issues at /~https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues
(or --nogui)
Suppresses the JabRef window (i.e. no GUI - Graphic User Interface - is displayed).
It causes the program to exit immediately once the command line options have been processed. This option is useful for performing file conversion operations from the command line or a script.
(or --import filename[,import format] or --importToOpen filename[,import format])
Import or load the file filename.
If only the filename is specified (or if the filename is followed by a comma and a * character), JabRef will attempt to detect the file format automatically.
This works for BibTeX files, and also for all files in a supported import format.
If the filename is followed by a comma and the name of an import format, the given import filter will be used.
Use the -h option to get the list of available import formats.
If an export option is also specified, the import will always be processed first, and the imported or loaded file will be used by the export filter.
If the GUI is not suppressed (using the -n option), any imported or loaded file will show up in the main window.
If --importToOpen is used, the content of the file will be imported into the opened tab.
Note: The -i option can be specified only once, and for one file only.
(or --output filename[,export format]
Export or save a file imported or loaded by the same command line.
If a file is imported using the -i option, that file will be exported.
If no -i option is used, the last file specified (and successfully loaded) will be exported.
If only filename is specified, it will be exported in BibTeX format. If the filename is followed by a comma and an export format, the given export filter will be used.
A custom export filter can be used, and will be preferred if the export name matches both a custom and a standard export filter.
If the GUI is not suppressed (using the -n option), any export operation will be performed before the JabRef window is opened, and the imported database will show up in the window.
Note: The -o option can be specified only once, and for one file only.
(or --exportMatches [field]searchTerm,outputFile:file[,exportFormat])
Save to a new file all the database entries matching the given search term.
If the filename is followed by a comma and an export format, the given export filter will be used. Otherwise, the default format html-table (with Abstract and BibTeX, provided by tablerefsabsbib) is used.
Information about to the search function is given in 'advanced search' documentation.
Note: In addition it is also possible to search for entries within a time frame such as Year=1989-2005
(instead of only searching for entries of a certain year as in Year=2005).
Note: Search terms containing blanks need to be bracketed by quotation marks, as in
(author=bock or title|keywords="computer methods")and not(author=sager)
(or --fetch=FetcherName:QueryString)
Query a Web fetcher and import the entries.
Pass both the name of a fetcher and your search term or paper id (e.g. --fetch=Medline:cancer), and the given fetcher will be run.
Some fetchers will still display a GUI window if they need feedback from you.
The fetchers listed in the Web search panel can be run from the command line.
To get the list of available fetchers, run --fetch without parameters.
(or --aux infile[.aux],outfile[.bib] base-BibTeX-file)
Extract a subdatabase from a .aux file:
When you compile a LaTeX document (e.g. infile.tex), an .aux file is created (infile.aux).
Among other things, it contains the list of entries used in your document.
JabRef can extract the references used from the base-BibTeX-file to a new .bib file (outfile.bib).
This way, you will have a subdatabase containing only the entries used in the .tex file.
(or --automaticallySetFileLinks)
Automatically set file links.
(or --generateBibtexKeys)
Regenerate all keys for the entries of a BibTeX file.
(or --prexp filename)
Export user preferences to an XML file. After exporting, JabRef will start normally.
(or --primp filename)
Import user preferences from an XML file (exported using the -x option, or through the GUI).
After importing, JabRef will start normally.
(or --prdef key)
Reset preferences (key1, key2,..., or all).
(or --blank)
Do not open any files at startup
(or --version)
Display the version number of JabRef.
Show debug level messages.