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FeatureRequests Sorted

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Linus Dietz edited this page Nov 11, 2021 · 15 revisions

Preliminary remarks

  • This list sorts https://sourceforge.net/p/jabref/feature-requests/ and does not take into account features reported via GitHub (see https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/labels/feature). The goal is to ease treatment of "old" feature requests, which should not get lost along the way.
  • Not a bullet-proof analysis. Just intended to be helpful in defining where to go.
  • Not to point at a specific request to be implemented, but to organize the wishes.
  • Classification based on my own perception of the main issues mentionned in the requests.
  • Based on the 480 feature requests which are currently open and not categorized as a possible bug or as possibly irrelevant request ("ToBeClosed").
  • Some of the retained requests may not be relevant anymore (i.e. should be closed).
  • In a given section, some requests are similar, but others are really identical.
  • A request may appear several times (e.g. several requests in a ticket).
  • For some requests, I could not find a dedicated category. So they go to the Section Uncategorized.
  • An idea: students could be given a group of feature requests to be integrated, so that they can concentrate on some parts of the software.

Main issues found in the feature requests

Note: no particular order.

Social what?!?

Remark:

Nothing about facebook, twitter, researchgate, academia, diaspora, google+, linkedin, or even myspace.

Allow me to work with others, please.

Remark:

I understand it is not the job of JabRef to take care of the installation and configuration of a versioning software. However, maybe we should have a dedicated page to explain how to install it and use it with JabRef?

Improve BibLaTeX support, please.

Help me to make sense of my references, please.

Remark: This goes beyong search and grouping (also it may be related).

Make it work for my text editor, please.

Remark:

While for text processors (word, LibreOffice), this may be a difficult task, I believe that for text editors (TeXniccenter, TexWorks, etc.), it is easy (the feature "just need" to be copied so that it inserts a \cite{} to another software). I even believe it should be a priority if we consider that JabRef was primarily designed to work for LaTeX edition.

Make it work better with my text editor, please.

Make it work for my OS, please.

Remark:

In fact, only few requests about smartphones

Give me the key I want, please.

Remark:

The key formatters could be unified with the import and export formatters.

Better management of my linked files, please.

Make a better use of my linked files, please.

Improve the user interface, please.

Clean-Up

Entry Editor

Export

File

Group Interface

Import

Keyboard Shortcuts

Main Window

Entry Preview

Search (local and web)

Text Processor

URL, DOI, etc.

Miscellaneous

Remark:

  • We have a volunteer who is specialist in GUI design. Maybe we could contact him, send him the list of requests for GUI and see what he suggests?
  • I believe we should think about GUI design for GUI parts that we consider stable (i.e. no strong changes expected), or, on the contrary, when major changes are going to be implemented.

Keep my data clean (and more: update them!), please.

I do not want those specific characters

Clean the fields of my entries.

Find and remove duplicates.

Clean my files, URLs and DOIs.

Fill the gaps/Update my entries.

Keep information consistent with the entry keys

Report me what's done

Show me the differences

It is MY mess! By "clean", I mean that JabRef should not modify my syntax.

Remark:

For entry cleanup but also for other purposes, third-party softwares are suggested. Could this be the way to go? (of course, this implies the user is able, somehow, to install these softwares)

I want to use the command-line, please.

Export my data, please.

More flexibility in Bib(La)TeX format

In a new format, or in an existing format but with more flexibility

With the files

With the files by email

Miscellaneous

Import data, please.

Using a new filter

Import the files automatically too

Improve the importation of references

Search (and import) from my specific database, please.

Remark: It looks like everybody wants a different database to be queried... As requested by several, could a parametrization interface be designed, so that anybody can query the database he/she wants? It seems there is something called Z39.50. Any other standard protocol?

Uncategorized...

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