How do I run Biber on TeXShop?

Question

I am trying to include the bibliography in a file I'm writing. The editor I'm using is TeXShop (OS is mac OSX).

I'm following a tutorial where I found that to include the bibliography using Biber I need a .bib file and the following commands:

\usepackage[autostyle]{csquotes} 
\usepackage[backend=biber]{biblatex}
\addbibresource{bib_file.bib}

and then

\printbibliography

Then it says that, in order to make the bibliography appear in the document, I should:

Compile
Run Biber from the editor
Re-compile twice

But how do I run Biber from TeXShop?

PS I've already set Biber as my default BibTeX Engine in Preferences/Engine, but I don't know how to run it. If I simply compile the document (i.e. press "Typeset") no bibliography will appear.

Funny you should ask, we seem to have just the answer for you Biblatex with Biber: Configuring my editor to avoid undefined citations — moewe, Aug 05 '16 at 16:21
@moewe I've already set Biber as my default BibTeX Engine in Preferences/Engine, but I don't know how to run it. If I simply compile the document (i.e. press "Typeset") no bibliography will appear. — valerio, Aug 05 '16 at 16:37
Aha! Now we're talking. Unfortunately I don't have a Mac, so I can only go by the screenshots I've seen on the web, but is there are drop down menu next to the "typeset" button where you can choose something like "bibliograhy"/"BibTeX"/"Biber"? — moewe, Aug 05 '16 at 16:38
BibTeX doesn't produce any .bbl files on Mac OS seems to suggest you have to choose "BibTeX" in the drop-down menu or use some kind of hotkey: SHIFT+CMD+B. — moewe, Aug 05 '16 at 16:40
You can use a little helper like latexmk or arara to run all the necessary commands for you with one click: all-in-one-engine for TeXShop & How to use arara with TeXShop — moewe, Aug 05 '16 at 16:45
@moewe If you want you can turn the comment in an answrer so that I can accept it and everybody with my same problem will be able to read what the solution is :) — valerio, Aug 05 '16 at 16:59
@valerio92 I've updated the linked answer to make it clear how to run biber as well. — Alan Munn, Aug 05 '16 at 19:14

Herb Schulz · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-05T19:48:41.547

7

Assuming you have the .bib file place the line

% !TEX TS–program = pdflatexmk

at the top of your .tex file. Then typeset using Typeset->Typeset (Cmd-T). That will automatically run biber when necessary and all the necessary runs of pdflatex.

If you want to create a .bib file try using BibDesk which you can find in /Applications/TeX.

If you always will use biber you can also make it the default bibtex engine in TeXShop->Preferences->Engine.

edited Aug 05 '16 at 19:48

answered Aug 05 '16 at 18:45

Herb Schulz

3,410

It works. But could I ask what does this command do exactly? – valerio Aug 05 '16 at 22:51
2

That `command', called a directive, tells TeXShop to use one of the special processing engines. The pdflatexmk engine uses the latexmk pearl program to use pdflatex then bibtex or biber (automatically) and make index, if necessary, finishing off with the proper number of runs of pdflatex to resolve all cross references. See Help->TeXShop Tips and Tricks for more information. – Herb Schulz Aug 05 '16 at 23:08
1

@HerbSchulz Is there a difference between pdflatex and pdflatexmk when called for TexShop? – Jim May 08 '22 at 03:45
2

@Jim : pdflatex simply runs pdflatex once while pdflatexmk uses the latexmk perl script to automatically completely typeset your document resolving all cross-references, citations and indexes. – Herb Schulz May 08 '22 at 13:07
3

NOTE: If you don't want to use the pdflatexmk engine and you don't want to change the default to always use biber as noted in the anser above you can use biber on a document by document basis by using the TeXShop directive $ !BIB program = biber near the top of the Source file. Then using Typeset->BibTeX (Shft-Cmd-B) will us biber instead of bibtex for that document. – Herb Schulz May 28 '22 at 14:20

How do I run Biber on TeXShop?

1 Answers1

Linked