Bookends NodeJS API client released (experimental)

[cboulanger]

Hi all,

after discovering and being very pleased that version 13 has many useful updates in terms of Apple Script support, I upgraded not only my Bookends installation, but also rewrote my NodeJS Bookends API client:

https://github.com/cboulanger/bookends-api
https://www.npmjs.com/package/bookends-api

Maybe you'll finds this useful. I am definitely happy to accept pull requests if you want to contribute fixes/improvements.

Jon: maybe you'd like to consider to add Apple Script support for the following actions:

• Rename/delete groups

• Delete references

• Add/rename/delete folders

That would be very useful.

[DarrenIngram]

I guess this might be a "if you need to ask, it is not for you"-type of question, but what does this API client do/deliver and how might ordinary people deploy it?

I looked at the project website, but it didn't give elucidation!

[cboulanger]

Hi,

Bookends has an AppleScript application programming interface (API) to "remote-control" the application. This way, you can programmatically work with your data, for example, to do exports / imports; search & replaces; etc. or anything that can be automated. I use it to exchange data with the other reference managers that I use (doing this by manual import / export is too onerous and error-prone).

This NPM package exposes this API to people who use NodeJS. You can see some examples in the test suite: https://github.com/cboulanger/bookends- ... pi.test.js

[Jon]

Thanks for posting this. A better (or an additional) place for this may be in the AppleScript forum.

viewforum.php?f=6

There is a lot less traffic there so the information will stand out (it's also the obvious place to look for those who want to automate Bookends).

I'm hoping to do some more work on AppleScripting Bookends before long, I'll consider your requests.

Jon
Sonny Software

[DarrenIngram]

Bookends has an AppleScript application programming interface (API) to "remote-control" the application.

Thanks. I will keep reading with interest and hope it inspires people to make nice interfaces for useful features to supplement this already wonderful package.

[cboulanger]

Jon, of course, you're right that's the more appropriate place -- I will post a note there.

[cboulanger]

I guess this might be a "if you need to ask, it is not for you"-type of question, but what does this API client do/deliver and how might ordinary people deploy it?

I looked at the project website, but it didn't give elucidation!

This might be an example that is more evident for the "normal user": A script that updates the BibTeX key according to you own tastes in a way that is not possible with a style (since it involves computation):

https://github.com/cboulanger/bookends- ... bibtex-key

[damo.clarky]

This might be an example that is more evident for the "normal user": A script that updates the BibTeX key according to you own tastes in a way that is not possible with a style (since it involves computation):

https://github.com/cboulanger/bookends- ... bibtex-key

Great library cboulanger - a wonderful improvement on your bookends-client library.

I was thinking of exactly the same idea as a useful example for its use.

Perhaps you might be interested in the work of Charles Parnot formerly from Papers on a specification for generating universally unique cite keys.

https://github.com/cparnot/universal-citekey-js

Damo.