© F. Dell'Orso, Bibliography Formatting Software: An Evaluation Template
Last version: January 2005

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3. Library Master, ProCite, EndNote, Reference Manager, Papyrus: full evaluation grid --
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 3.11. Sort

Sort

Library Master Procite EndNote Reference Manager Papyrus

1 Scope
   1. sorting records within the database
   2. sorting records in output

LM: 1; 2; 1 and 2 are different but can overlap Pr: 1; 2; 1 and 2 are different but can overlap En: 1: one criterium by default that can be altered; 2 sort the db (or a subset) to export or print (sort specifications within the style will not be used); each citation style has got its sort orders for the bibliograpic list and manuscript in-text citations; subject bibliography can use sort orders and styles on the fly RM: 1 this is the criterium for the report output as well; 2 wp manuscript bibliography list and in-text citations have their own sort order

(e.g. bibliography list only supports Citation order and Author/Date)

Papyrus : 1 (limited: RN or author) or Group of records; 2: Group of records

2 Basic sort criterium for characters:
   1. operating system's tables
   2. program specific settings and/or tables
   3. user defined table (es. ä = ae)

LM: 1; can ignore case and accents and leading words as defined in a customizable list; call numbers -Dewey and LC classification- have special sorting; numbers are tretaed as numbers, not text Pr: 1; 2 internal regional tables

Leading punctuation is always ignored. Apart from Dates and Call Number digits are still letters. 2 non-filing strings lists available see below Changing sort criterium / table, requires database rebuild; LC Call/Classification and Dewey numbers are taken into account and sorted before digits and letters; Dates are converted into an internal format and sorted consequently

En: 1 Windows active table for output list. Leading blanks and punctuation are ignored for titles, otherwise punctuation marks are considered; author sort will considered all the authors in the field; two non-filing strings lists available (see below); internal regional tables can be chosen to handle diacritics differently RM: 1; 2 internal regional tables; can also set "Character set sort " where letters with diacritics are sorted at the end

Leading punctuation and articles are never ignored. Digits are still letters apart from Dates and RN

Papyrus: 1; 3: special provision for vowels with umlaut + names with different display form can have same sort form; leading punctuation and English, French, German articles are ignored

3 Sort keys on different levels

LM: yes, up to 5 levels (each A/D) Pr: yes, 2 or 3 levels, 6 levels (each A/D) for custom sort order En: yes, 5 levels (each A/D) for db list sort, each style has got its sort order based on 5 predefined and composite criteria + 1 custom (in which: 5 levels, each A/D) RM: yes 3 levels (each one A/D) on any field Papyrus : yes, any field -on n levels- under user's control; descending order only for year

4 How to sort the database

LM:
- default sort order (that can be used also for the short record list) is based either on a sort file or on up to five levels - in the short record list : pull down menu option or mouse click on an indexed field (descending order not available);
- to sort on the fly the whole database on non indexed fields, mouse click on the short record list field name

you get a temporary different sort order (sorted snapshot), where descending order is available by re-clicking the name bar

Pr:
Pull down menu option with 7 + 1 custom order (up to 6 levels A/D) or mouse click on the short record list field name bar to sort (A/D and more options are available)
En:
Pull down menu option or mouse click on the short record list field name bar to sort A/D
RM:
Setting permanent option (Change Database Sort Order) or mouse click on the short record list field name bar to sort temporarily
Papyrus:
button choice on the database main window (All References)  

5 How to sort for printing

LM: sort order file to be connected with style files Pr: ready made options from pull down menu En: sort selected records or the whole db (the active style is not taken into account) to export; the sort specifications within the style will only be used for manuscript's in-text citations and bibliography list RM: from the database reference list it uses the sort order of the selected list of records; for the manuscript bibliography list and in-text citations it uses the style's specifications that can also be altered on the fly from within the CWYW function (see 13 Manuscript formatting) Papyrus: within the style

6 Database sort is kept over sessions

LM: yes, but not the clicking on the bar-one (sorted snapshot) Pr: yes En: yes RM: yes, but not the temporary --clicking on the bar-- one Papyrus: yes

7 Sort key length can be defined

LM: no (apart from indexed fields whose length has to be defined by the user) Pr: no En: no RM: no Papyrus: no

8 Sort for printing belongs to output styles

LM: yes, but can be altered on the fly Pr: yes, but can be altered on the fly En: only as far as manuscript formatting is concerned: cannot be altered on the fly but can choose a different style and sort; for subject bibliography can choos sort order on the fly RM: yes, and cannot be altered on the fly but can choose a different style and sort Papyrus: yes, but can be altered on the fly

9 Sort records in output using:
   1. words
   2. single occurrence of a multiple field
   3. marked strings
   4. portions of field and subfield
   5. whole field
   6. other

LM: 2 within an indexed report; 4 part of a date; 5 Pr: 2 (names); 4 (custom sort, options for: surname only, year only); 5 En: 2 (option for: first author, n authors,  all); 5 RM: 2=4 only first author when sorting on the reference list (not documented); 6 more (the whole authors field) when sorting the manuscript bibliography list Papyrus: 2  or words when from a word-indexed field; 5

10 Can alter the sort value of a string

LM: no, can only ignore leading stopwords (1 list; punctuation marks cannot be ignored: bad titles sort) Pr: no, only leading stopwords (2 lists : authors, generic) En: no, only leading non-filing strings (2 lists: authors, titles) RM: no, (stopwords not available: bad titles sort) Papyrus: yes for names that can individually have their sort value + ñ = oe et sim.; built-in stopwords for leading English, French, German articles are out of reach

11 Conditional ("if ... then ...") commands available for sorting

LM: if first field absent then either an alternate one or a text --see also subject bibliography made by using Format Pr: no (only custom: if field absent then either first or last) En: no, but embedded in options for authors and anonymous works RM: no Papyrus: no, automatic: if field absent then sorted first

12 Sort keys derived from different fields

LM: when keys are headings ("subject bibliography") within the Format;
but any single sort key is derived from only one field, cannot be 'compound' 
Pr: only authors, titles, date are cluster keys;
when keys are headings ("subject bibliography") any key from multiple fields can be selected (and single keys can be de-selected on the fly) but any single sort key is derived from only one field, cannot be 'compound'
En: no; yes when keys are headings ("subject bibliography") any key from multiple fields can be selected (and single keys can be de-selected on the fly) but any single sort key is derived from only one field, cannot be 'compound' RM: no; yes when keys are headings ("subject bibliography") any key from multiple fields  can be selected (and single keys can be de-selected on the fly) but any single sort key is derived from only one field, cannot be 'compound' Papyrus: no

13 Ignore initial articles and punctuation marks (non-filing strings)

LM: articles and words yes, thanks to a customizable list; leading punctuation marks are anyhow retained and confound the sorting

Stopword in beginning position can be preserved if followed by hard space (Ctrl-Space)

Pr: yes, thanks to customizable stopword files: two lists belonging to each database: 1 general (corporate names included) 2 personal authors

Stopwords cannot be disactivated: must be emptied. Stopword in beginning position can be preserved if followed by hard space (Ctrl-Shift-space)

En: leading a an the and punctuation always excluded + two customizable stopword files belonging to each database: 1 authors (corporate names included); 2 titles

Stopwords cannot be disactivated: must be emptied

RM: no (does not have sort stopwords list) Papyrus: built-in list of leading English, French, German articles that are automatically skipped; also leading punctuation marks are skipped

14 Other

LM: sort files or default pattern can set also: use of non-indexed fields, A/D order, sort according to RT, ignore leading words, ignore case and accents, replace first field if empty with another field or text

Pr: Custom sort lets also choose between: empty fields first or last; all authors or only first; full name vs surname; full date vs year En: special provisions for anonymous works and for edited works after original works by the same author  RM: can sort kw within the kw field Papyrus: as noted, names may have 2 forms: display and sort, e.g. de Durfort, Béatrice can be sorted as Durfort, Béatrice



15.1 Sort can produce headings above sorted records (so called : "subject bibliography", indexed/headed report)

Library Master Procite EndNote Reference Manager Papyrus
LM: yes, also headings only, without records Pr: yes, also headings only, without records (alphabetic sort) En: yes,
a) alphabetic sort A/D, b) on the basis of occurrences (Term count) A/D
RM:  yes,
a) alphabetic A/D sort, b) on the basis of occurrences (Term count) A/D
Papyrus: yes, also headings only, without records

15.2 Sort keys are another item from headings (i.e. sort on A, display B), thus can match or be different

LM: yes Pr: no, they are just the same thing En: no, they are just the same thing RM: no, they are just the same thing Papyrus: no --apart from names, see above-- they are just the same thing

15.3 Headings do not need to be displayed within records

LM: yes, they do not Pr: yes, they do not En: yes, they do not RM: yes, they do not Papyrus: yes, they do not

15.4 More than one level of sort key as headings

LM: no, only one, though headings can come from n fields at once

the producer -Balboa Software- clarifies that two levels headings are possible [quoting] "Using a 'field different' conditional command in the Format File to display the second sort field at the top of a group of records. This works best on a non-list field for the second sort field". So you could create a subject bibliography with records grouped under each subject by author or date"

Pr: no, only one, though headings can come from n fields at once (e.g. mixed sorting by subject and classes) En:  no, only one, though headings can come from n fields at once (e.g. mixed sorting by subject and classification numbers) RM: no, only one, though headings can come from n fields at once (e.g. mixed sorting by subject and classification numbers) Papyrus: no, only one, from just one field 

15.5 Sort of records under the same sort key

LM: ruled by any specified print sort file Pr: ruled by the print sort order En: ruled by the print sort order RM: uses the database general sort order Papyrus: authors; year; RN or RefID

15.6 Sort occurrences of a repeatable field as headings
1. altogether
2. all separated
3. just one

LM: 1; 2
(use the "field different" conditional command in the Format File)
Pr: 1; 2 names kw and any entry separated by //, /, <CR>, <Line Feed> En: 1; 2 names kw and any other entry separated by //, /, <CR>, <Line Feed> RM: 1; 2 names kw, and any other entry separated by //, /, <CR>, <Line Feed> Papyrus:  2; if headings come from a word-by-word indexed field, headings will be single words and not the whole field

15.7 Records are referenced more than once by different sort headings

LM: yes, records are fully printed each time (no "light indexes" with cross references) Pr: yes, records are fully printed each time (no "light indexes" with cross references) En: yes, records are fully printed each time (no "light indexes" with cross references) RM: yes, records are fully printed each time (no "light indexes" with cross references) Papyrus: yes, records are fully printed each time (no "light indexes" with cross references)

15.8 Sort headings can be formatted

LM: yes, bold, underline, italics, capitalization, super/sub-script Pr: yes, bold, underline, italics, uppercase En:  yes, bold, underline, italics, uppercase RM:  yes, bold, underline, italics, uppercase Papyrus:  no (always bold)

15.9 Can produce indexes referencing records in the database by a short element (e.g. RN)

LM: yes Pr: yes En: yes RM: yes Papyrus: yes (also single words, if from field indexed in free-text or title mode)

Table of contents Bibliography Index

© F. Dell'Orso, Bibliography Formatting Software: An Evaluation Template
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