SIXPACK - Bibliography and Reference Manager

originally by Sixten Boeck and Andre Merzky

modified by Michael Lachmann

Comments and some documentation Carl Bergstrom

Here's a link to the original SIXPACK web page

Screenshots:


main view, old version	command line interface	all views open, version 0.99(=0.0.3) several databases are open.

Download version 0.99.001216
Download the newest version
changelog note: database format not compatible with version 0.98pl12

Requirements

Perl, Perl/Tk
Remark: perl/tk is a perl module, seperate from perl and from Tk. For debian, it is available in the main distribution. (apt-get install perl-tk) For redhat/mandrake/SuSe look in the rpmfind database for perl-tk.

Compatibility

Possibly any system that meets the Requirements. I use it on linux, and it seems to work on solaris.
Sixpack even works on windows! Soon an install script for windows will be available. Download perl for windows with perl/tk from this directory.

Features

SIXPACK is a free BibTeX and Reference Manager designed to

edit, convert and manage reference files
search and sort bibliographies
import and export many different bibliography types. Sixpack uses the excelent

perl package bp by

Dana Jacobson

to covert between formats.

Have both a command line and a gui interface.
Work completely from the keyboard.
Be able to import references from the web, now even through "direct-download" using the bib-remote program.
Be able to open an article through an external viewer.

Supported database formats (this support is by bp):

Format	read	write	notes
bibtex	x	x	The BibTeX format
refer	x	x	The Refer / BibIX format
endnote	x	x	EndNote's refer-like format. See comment about importing from endnote
tib	x	x	Like refer using TeX
procite	x	x	Comma-delimited import format
rfc1807	x	x	RFC 1807 / 1357. Not well tested.
text	x	x	Raw lines or paragraphs
cstra	x		CS Tech Report format
inspec	x		The "Doc Type" version.
medline	x		MEDLARS as output by Entrez
melvyl	x		Not quite sure which version.
ieee	x		The old IEEE catalog
powells	x		An old Powell's format
output		x	Styles generic, booklist, aacf.
html		x	Synonym for output format with HTML charset

Here is a changelog vs. version 0.98pl12.
SIXPACK is under the GPL.

Additional bp modules

Adding bp modules, to support additional formats is very easy. Sixpack now includes a couple fo new or replacement modules for bp. These are:

module name	read	write	notes
inspecWeb	x		Reads from inspec as I currently get it on my browser. Also supports removing html tags.
bibtex	x	x	Handles brakets better, and various other fixes
medline	x		Just like the original medline module, but understands the URLF field, and converts it to 'url'.
endnote	x	x	Just like the original endnote module, but understands urls in the Note/Annote field (%O or %U). See comment about importing from endnote

Documentation

Finally there is Documentation for Sixpack!!! Look here. Also look in the README file.
And at the changelog.
Carl Bergstrom provided very important information on importing from Endnote:

Importing EndNote files

by Carl Bergstrom

It is easy to import bibliography files from ISI Researchsoft's EndNote into Sixpack, if you have access to a copy of EndNote. Instructions for doing so are as follows.

Download the "Refer/BibIX" EndNote style from ISI Researchsoft's web page in Macintosh or PC format. (In Netscape, right-click on the appropriate link to download the file to disk.)
In EndNote:
1. Select the REFER style: Choosing "More Styles..." from the Styles submenu on the main menu. Find and select the newly-loaded Refer style file.
2. Load the bibliography file that you wish to export.
3. Export the bibliography file: Select "Export..." from the file menu. In the "Save as Type" box, select "Text file (*.txt)". Choose a file name, and save.
In Sixpack:
1. Open a new database: File-"Open Database" or File-"Open Bibtex".
2. Import the file that you created using the Endnote refer style: Transfer-Import-"Import endnote". (Make sure that the "Import is raw html" and "Use selection for import" checkboxes in the Transfer submenu are unselected.)

You'll never have to use EndNote again!