BibTeX Viewer

View, edit, and manage .bib files with a split raw/formatted view and full bibliography system integration.

The BibTeX Viewer opens automatically when you click a .bib file in the project sidebar. It shows a split view with the raw BibTeX source on one side and a formatted reference list on the other.

The split view

SideContents
Left — Raw sourceThe .bib file contents with syntax highlighting
Right — Formatted listRendered reference cards, one per entry

Drag the divider between the two panels to adjust the split. Changes made on either side are reflected on the other in real time.

Editing entries

Edit in the formatted view

Click any field in a reference card on the right side to edit it inline. Fields that can be edited include title, authors, year, journal, volume, pages, DOI, and URL. Press Enter or click away to confirm. The raw BibTeX on the left updates immediately.

Edit in the raw source

Click anywhere in the raw source panel on the left to activate the text editor. Edit the BibTeX directly. The formatted list on the right re-renders when you stop typing.

Warning: Editing the raw source can introduce syntax errors. The viewer highlights malformed entries in red and shows an error message below the entry. Fix the syntax before saving.

Adding and removing entries

  • Add entry — Click New Entry in the toolbar. Choose an entry type from the dropdown and fill in the fields in the formatted panel.
  • Delete entry — Click the trash icon on a reference card, or delete the entry block from the raw source.

Saving changes

Changes are saved to the .bib file automatically as you type. The toolbar shows a save indicator. You can also press Cmd+S (Windows: Ctrl+S) to force a save.

Bibliography system sync

The BibTeX Viewer is fully integrated with the Bibliography System. Any entry you add or edit in the viewer is immediately available:

  • In the Bibliography panel's reference list
  • In the LaTeX editor's \cite{} autocomplete
  • As nodes in the Knowledge Graph

There is no separate sync step — the bibliography system reads .bib files directly from your project.

Knowledge Graph integration

Click Show in Graph in the toolbar to open the Knowledge Graph Viewer with the entries from this file highlighted. Author and topic connections visible in the graph reflect the entries in the file.