From: Matthias Koeppe
Subject: [Announce] CL-BibTeX 0.4 released
Date: 
Message-ID: <uw5llys2aj6.fsf@saturn.math.uni-magdeburg.de>
CL-BibTeX is a compatible replacement for the BibTeX program, written
in Common Lisp.  The aim is to enable the user to format bibliographic
entries using Common Lisp programs, rather than using the stack
language of BibTeX style files.  

Because CL-BibTeX can also make use of BibTeX style files via its BST
interpreter, it can be used as a drop-in replacement for BibTeX,
which removes BibTeX's arbitrary limits.

As of version 0.4, the system consists of: 

 * A reader for BibTeX style files (.bst),
 * a reader and a writer for bibliography databases (.bib),
 * a reader for .aux files,
 * an implementation of BibTeX's built-in functions (like for parsing and
   formatting names, etc.)
 * an interpreter for the stack language of BibTeX style files,
 * a compiler that transforms BibTeX style files into comprehensible
   Common Lisp programs (using type analysis)
 * a command-line interface that emulates the original BibTeX

Changes since version 0.3:

 * BibTeX's output line breaking mechanism has been implemented.
 * The compiler now deals with WHILE$ loops with complicated data flow.
 * The compiler now makes some variables constant.
 * The compiler now tries to deal with slightly broken style files.
 * The system now has a test-suite for testing the correctness.
 * Bug fixes:
   - A bug regarding functions that return multiple values has been fixed.
   - The compiler now coerces booleans to integers in assignments.
   - When an undefined macro is used in an entry, don't skip the whole entry.
   - Some minor differences with BibTeX's output have been corrected.
   - The capitalization of "foreign characters" has been corrected.
   - Crossrefs are also resolved when all entries are cited (\cite{*}).

Changes since version 0.2:

 * The compiler now supports BibTeX macros (named strings).
 * The compiler now makes some variables lexical (rather than special).
 * The compiler is more careful with respect to the package system.
 * Bug fixes:  Capitalization, empty BST function blocks

Changes since version 0.1:

 * Nested .aux files are now handled.
 * The crossref feature has been implemented.
 * A model for Lisp BibTeX styles has been implemented.
 * Portability improvements.

I have tested it under the Common Lisp implementations CMUCL, SBCL,
and CLISP.  It is released under the GNU General Public License.
CL-BibTeX can be downloaded from here:

   http://www.freesoftware.fsf.org/cl-bibtex/

I have also created an unofficial package for Debian GNU/Linux; it
can be downloaded from here:

   http://www.math.uni-magdeburg.de/~mkoeppe/imo-debian/

-- 
Matthias Koeppe -- http://www.math.uni-magdeburg.de/~mkoeppe