🚀 go-pugleaf

>Is there a simple way to define all the users reference types
>to be the same so that the shared library references will
>appear identically?

This is only part of the problem.  There really are more than 15 different
types of reference material!  Even doubling this limit (no doubt a 4-bit
number) might not be enough.  (Remember that importing/exporting might
require different reference types.)  While I can understand a reluctance
to change file formats, it's time to start thinking about it.  Surely
some way to read both kinds of files (old and new) could be implemented
without too much trouble, and libraries could be converted automatically.
I have other software packages that have done exactly this.

I propose therefore that the number of reference type be increase to at
least a 6 bit number, and that the reference type information no longer
be kept in a preference file, but with the library itself.  (For the
PC version, an auxilary file would be sufficient).  Now, when I copy
references between library files, the appropriate reference type information
is copied too.  The problem of maintaining consistant reference types
vanishes.  The cost for all this (63 reference types, easy library maintaince)
is 2 extra bits per reference, plus the duplication of type information
between libraries (really, this is a feature), a slightly more complex copy
operation (which the user never knows about), and the need to worry about
old file formats.

I say it's worth it!

Wayne Pollock (The MAD Scientist)
Internet:	pollock@csee.usf.edu

In article <20a55r$hot@suntan.eng.usf.edu> pollock@eggo.usf.edu (Wayne
Pollock) writes:


>While I can understand a reluctance
>to change file formats, it's time to start thinking about it.  Surely
>some way to read both kinds of files (old and new) could be implemented
>without too much trouble, and libraries could be converted automatically.
>I have other software packages that have done exactly this.
>
>I propose therefore that the number of reference type be increase to at
>least a 6 bit number, and that the reference type information no longer
>be kept in a preference file, but with the library itself.  (For the
>PC version, an auxilary file would be sufficient).  Now, when I copy
>references between library files, the appropriate reference type
information
>is copied too.  The problem of maintaining consistant reference types
>vanishes.  .
...
>
>Wayne Pollock (The MAD Scientist)
>Internet:	pollock@csee.usf.edu
>

I completely AGREE with the sentiments expressed by Wayne.
I have been a very user of Endnote and have introduced it to numerous
academics/researchers on the campus. The major minus that struck me about
Endnote from day one was the defining of the referece types & their
attributes in the preferences file alone, thus making  a  reference
library effectively  non shareable with other users unless they ran
exactly the same setup. ....  
Not exactly easy when each user initially "wants to do it their way", but
then later share referneces with colleagues,  or grab references from a
departmental "collection".


Joe Miles                                  Email: Joe.Miles@anu.edu.au
Head, Microcomputer Support                tel:   +61  6  249 2544 
Computer Services Centre                   fax:   +61  6  247 3425
The Australian National University
Canberra      ACT        0200