JabRef 2.6 beta
---------------

Introduction:

JabRef is a graphical Java application for editing bibtex (.bib)
databases. JabRef lets you organize your entries into overlapping
logical groups, and with a single click limit your view to a single
group or an intersection or union of several groups. You can customize
the entry information shown in the main window, and sort by any of the
standard Bibtex fields. JabRef can autogenerate bibtex keys for your
entries. JabRef also lets you easily link to PDF or web sources for your
reference entries.

JabRef can import from and export to several formats, and you can
customize export filters. JabRef can be run as a command line application
to convert from any import format to any export format.


License:
JabRef is free open source software, distributed under the GNU General
Public Licence. See the enclosed text file 'gpl.txt', or the About
dialog, for details about the GPL.

JabRef also uses libraries distributed by other porties; see the About
box for details.


Requirements:
JabRef runs on any system equipped with the Java Virtual Machine
(1.5 or newer), which can be downloaded at no cost from
http://java.sun.com. If you do not plan to compile JabRef, the Java
Runtime Environment may be a better choice than the Java Development
Kit.


Installing and running, Windows:
JabRef is available in Windows Installer (.msi) format. To install,
double-click the .msi file. A shortcut to JabRef will be added to your
start menu.

The Windows installation was made by Dale Visser, using the following open-source tools:
JSmooth (.exe wrapper for Java apps), available at http://jsmooth.sf.net/
Wix (tool for compiling MSI files from an XML specification), available at http://wix.sf.net/


Installing and running, general:
JabRef can be downloaded as an executable .jar file. Run the
program as follows:
If you are using the Java Development Kit:
     java -jar <path to jar>
or, if you are using the Java Runtime Environment:
     jre -new -jar <path to jar> or
     jrew -new -jar <path to jar>

If you run JabRef under Java 1.5, you can add the option "-Dswing.aatext=true" before the
"-jar" option, to activate antialiased text throughout the application.


The jar file containing JabRef can be unpacked with the command:
    jar xf <path to jar>
or  jar xf <path to jar> <list of files to extract>
Unpacking the jar file is not necessary to run the program.



Building JabRef from source:
Please see the INSTALL file for instructions for building from source.

Documentation:
JabRef comes with an online help function, accessed by pressing F1 or
clicking on a question mark icon. The help files are probably not
exhaustive enough to satisfy everyone yet, but they should help sort
out the most important issues about using the program. The help files
can also be viewed outside the program with a standard HTML browser.
If you choose languages other than English, some or all help pages may
appear in your chosen languages.


Bug reports, suggestions, other feedback:
We are thankful for any bug reports or other feedback. If there are
features you want included in JabRef, tell us!


JabRef homepage:
http://jabref.sourceforge.net

You can always get the very latest version of the program from our SVN
repository; instructions for downloading are found on the
homepage. Note that the SVN version may contain untested features, or
have other stability issues.

Bug submission and Open Discussions and Help forums are found at:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/jabref


Corresponding authors:
mortenalver _ users.sourceforge.net
nbatada _ users.sourceforge.net