Citations, references and books

Citations

1. Keep a .bib file (Zotero’s Better BibTeX can keep one up to date) or a CSL JSON file beside your notes.
2. Write [@key] in a note. In the editor it reads “(Smith, 2020)”. Rest on it to see the source.
3. Type @ to list your library.
4. In Settings → Export → Citation style, choose APA 7, Chicago, IEEE, Vancouver, Harvard or MLA, or name a .csl file.

Exports format each citation and add the reference list in that style.

Cross-references

Label a figure, table, equation or section with {#fig-map}, as in Quarto, and refer to it with @fig-map. The editor and every export show the same “Figure 1”. Turn numbering of equations, figures and tables on or off in Settings → Export.

A folder as a book

A book is a note whose list of wiki links gives the chapter order. Its front matter holds the book’s title, author, bibliography and style:

---
title: My Book
---

- [[Introduction]]
- [[Chapter one]]
- [[Chapter two]]

1. Open that note.
2. Press ⌘K and choose Export as book….
3. Pick PDF, Word, LaTeX or Web page.

You get parts, numbered chapters, figures numbered by chapter (“Figure 2.3”), lettered appendices and one reference list. Slides and Markdown aren’t offered for a book.

A list item with a nested list is a part. Links before the list are unnumbered front chapters, such as a preface, and links after it are appendices.

A book can also be published as a site, with a page for each chapter.