Jumping across references

[Streghetta]

Hi,

as I am working on my reference entries, there are two features I am terribly missing – or is it just I haven't found them yet?

First, I would like to automatically jump to the first or last reference in a list or group. My references are alphabetically sorted by author, which is also the first column. So the first/last reference command isn't useful at all, because the reference numbers don't coincide with the alphabetical order. Neither is the first/last hit command, as I don't always want to check and uncheck all the entries in the group. Typing A or Z is useful, but not sufficient when there are about 20 authors starting with Z and some entries without an author above the A entries.

Second, I would LOVE to have forward and backward arrows to navigate between the entries I have been viewing, which may be in different groups, starting with different letters etc., so I wouldn't have to search again every time I want to go back to the last two articles I edited.

And talking about alphabetical order: I have noted that any letter with a "special character" (also Ä, Ö, Ü are not at all special characters in German) is sorted at the end of the alphabet, even after Z. So the list reads ABCD…Z, Á, Ä, À, É, È etc. This is not an Apple feature, as the Finder sorts Ä/Á/À with A and so on. Is there any possibility to have it the same way? Because it is quite irritating sometimes, I don't find an author at the place he ought to be just because there is a little accent I didn't notice or annotate...

I would be really glad to have solutions or workarounds to these (minor) problems! Otherwise maybe they could be considered for one of the next updates...?

[Jon]

You really should not put so many questions/issues in a single post. It makes this forum much less useful. I'll answer these briefly. If you want to follow up, please make a separate thread per topic.

1. First and last based on alphabetical order? Then using the keyboard as you are doing -- type Space to go to the beginning, "zz" to go to the end.

2. Bookends remembers the selected references when you move between groups. So just click on the old group name to go back to the old reference. Another option is to tick the references you are working on, which puts them in the Hits list. Then it's easy to move between them. Finally, in the next update, you'll be able to easily go back and forth between cross linked references with a click.

3. Go to Preferences, Lists, and tell Bookends to use Unicode sorting (instead of ASCII sorting).

Jon
Sonny Software

[Streghetta]

I just didn't want to open 5 posts at a time, so I tried to group them in 2

1. Didn't come up with space and zz, thanks!

2. Ticking the references is not an option as usually the Hits list is already occupied, e.g. with the bibliography of the file I'm working on, and there are about 200 hits. Back and forth between cross linked references is a feature I have been missing too, but not as much as the back/forth arrows like in my browser. Is there a wish list where I could put that?

3. Great! Thanks so much!!!!

[Jon]

You really shouldn't use the Hits list for storing anything semi-permanently (like a bibliography). It's for short term, temporary storage only. It's perfect for what you want to do with creating a small temporary group of references to move between.

For longer term storage, use groups, that's what they are for. They're easy to create and delete, too (you can drag and drop references on the groups pane to create a new group, then drag references into or out of that group whenever you want).

Basically, you should be able to lose the Hits list at any time with relatively little impact on what you are doing.

Jon
Sonny Software

[Streghetta]

Losing the Hits list isn't a problem at all, it's just that after the first bibliography scan I would have to manually clear it (don't I?) and I'm afraid I won't always think of that before editing other references And yes, I'm using groups, too.

Still, the back/forth arrows would be a great feature for some future update!