Unable to change reference format (Bookends)

For all things Mellel

Moderators: Eyal Redler, redlers, Ori Redler

Post Reply
Tony Watkins
Got the styles thing figured out
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri May 04, 2018 11:04 am

Unable to change reference format (Bookends)

Post by Tony Watkins »

I ran into a problem in the last couple of days with changing the reference format for citations inserted using Bookends. I had created a new format for a specific piece of work, but I could not make the citations (no bibliography) use the new format; they always ended up in my previous format. In Bookends, I set the default format to the new format (Biblio > default format) but it made no difference. At the bottom of the display pane, it was set to show the formatted citation and bibliography entry in the new format, but when I inserted a citation into the document and clicked the scan document button, the citation was completed using the previous style, not the new one, and in Bookends the display pane reverted to showing the previous style. I could find nothing about this in Mellel or Bookends documentation.

After some testing, it turns out that the issue arises from the *first time* of scanning a document to format the citations (and, optionally, bibliography). When doing so, one gets an option about whether to generate a bibliography or not, with a drop-down menu for the referencing format to be used. Whether or not one generates a bibliography, the format showing in that window is the one that the document uses from that point on.

My problem was that the document I was writing had originally used one referencing format – but without a generated bibliography - and I could see no reason why it was stuck with that format. I realised what was going on when it occurred to me that my academic documents were continuing to use Harvard – and that I could not change the format for them either. When I created a new document, inserted a couple of citations, and scanned it for the first time, the format I chose in the generate bibliography option window was the one it was stuck with.

End result: it's an easy fix. Unscan the document, scan it again, and when given the option to generate a bibliography, set the new format.
ealvarez
Knows everything, can prove it
Posts: 130
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:44 pm

Re: Unable to change reference format (Bookends)

Post by ealvarez »

Thanks to report : )
Eyal Redler
Co-founder
Posts: 692
Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2005 9:15 am

Re: Unable to change reference format (Bookends)

Post by Eyal Redler »

This is how the Bookends<>Mellel bibliography integration works.
When you initially scan your document, you choose the bibliography format, Mellel remembers this and when you scan again (if you added or removed citations) the document is automatically scanned using the saved format. When you un-scan, the saved format is removed so that in the next time you scan, you get to choose the format again.
BTW: This is mentioned in the bibliography video at 2:15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL9FsxzMzNE&t=34s
Eyal Redler
----------------------
Co-Founder and Owner at Mellel
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mellelwordprocessor
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MellelRedlex
Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_b ... 2LWB33YBZW
Tony Watkins
Got the styles thing figured out
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri May 04, 2018 11:04 am

Re: Unable to change reference format (Bookends)

Post by Tony Watkins »

Thanks, Eyal. Jon from Bookends has also said this is how it's supposed to work. I appreciate (now :lol: ) that it makes complete sense for it to work this way. It might be helpful for it to be made explicit in the user guides for Mellel and Bookends, though (I never bother with tutorial videos if there's a good user guide).
Post Reply