Finds references in a bibliography.
lookbib [ -n ] [ Database ... ]
The lookbib command uses an inverted index made by the indxbib command to find sets of bibliographic references. The lookbib command reads keywords typed after the > prompt on the terminal, and retrieves records containing all these keywords. If nothing matches, nothing is returned except another > prompt.
The lookbib command asks if you need instructions and prints some brief information if you type a user-defined affirmative answer.
The Database parameter specifies files that contain bibliographic references, indexes, or similar types of information. It is possible to search multiple databases as long as they have a common index made by the indxbib command. In that case, only the first database name given to the indxbib command is specified to the lookbib command.
If the lookbib command does not find the index files (the .i[abc] files), it looks for a reference file with the same name as the first database, but without the suffixes. It creates a file with a .ig suffix, suitable for use with the fgrep command. It then uses this fgrep command file to find references. Using the .ig file is simpler but slower than using the .i[abc] files, and does not allow the use of multiple reference files.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| -n | Turns off the prompt for instructions. |
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Database.ia | Contains the entry file. |
| Database.ib | Contains the posting file. |
| Database.ic | Contains the tag file. |
| Database.ig | Contains the output file. |