bibtex-generate-autokey

bibtex-generate-autokey is a compiled Lisp function in `bibtex.el'.

(bibtex-generate-autokey)

Generate automatically a key for a BibTeX entry.
Use the author/editor, the year and the title field.
The algorithm works as follows.

The name part:
1. Use the author or editor field to generate the name part of the key.
Expand BibTeX strings if `bibtex-autokey-expand-strings' is non-nil.
2. Change the content of the name field according to
`bibtex-autokey-name-change-strings' (see there for further detail).
3. Use the first `bibtex-autokey-names' names in the name field. If there
are up to `bibtex-autokey-names' + `bibtex-autokey-names-stretch' names,
use all names.
4. Use only the last names to form the name part. From these last names,
take at least `bibtex-autokey-name-length' characters (truncate only
after a consonant or at a word end).
5. Convert all last names using the function
`bibtex-autokey-name-case-convert-function'.
6. Build the name part of the key by concatenating all abbreviated last
names with the string `bibtex-autokey-name-separator' between any two.
If there are more names in the name field than names used in the name
part, append the string `bibtex-autokey-additional-names'.

The year part:
1. Build the year part of the key by truncating the content of the year
field to the rightmost `bibtex-autokey-year-length' digits (useful
values are 2 and 4).
2. If the year field (or any other field required to generate the key)
is absent, but the entry has a valid crossref field and
`bibtex-autokey-use-crossref' is non-nil, use the field of the
crossreferenced entry instead.

The title part
1. Change the content of the title field according to
`bibtex-autokey-titleword-change-strings' (see there for further detail).
2. Truncate the title before the first match of
`bibtex-autokey-title-terminators' and delete those words which appear
in `bibtex-autokey-titleword-ignore'. Build the title part using the
first `bibtex-autokey-titlewords' words from this truncated title.
If the truncated title ends after up to `bibtex-autokey-titlewords' +
`bibtex-autokey-titlewords-stretch' words, use all words from the
truncated title.
3. For every title word that appears in `bibtex-autokey-titleword-abbrevs'
use the corresponding abbreviation (see documentation of this variable
for further detail).
4. From every title word not generated by an abbreviation, take at least
`bibtex-autokey-titleword-length' characters (truncate only after
a consonant or at a word end).
5. Convert all title words using the function
`bibtex-autokey-titleword-case-convert-function'.
6. Build the title part by concatenating all abbreviated title words with
the string `bibtex-autokey-titleword-separator' between any two.

Concatenate the key:
1. Concatenate `bibtex-autokey-prefix-string', the name part, the year
part and the title part. If the name part and the year part are both
non-empty insert `bibtex-autokey-name-year-separator' between the two.
If the title part and the year (or name) part are non-empty, insert
`bibtex-autokey-year-title-separator' between the two.
2. If `bibtex-autokey-before-presentation-function' is non-nil, it must be
a function taking one argument. Call this function with the generated
key as the argument. Use the return value of this function (a string)
as the key.
3. If `bibtex-autokey-edit-before-use' is non-nil, present the key in the
minibuffer to the user for editing. Insert the key given by the user.