Create disjoint subgroups

[manurare]

Hi,

I would like to know if it possible to create disjoint groups where entries cannot be shared between them. So I have 3 subgroups (read, skimmed, pending) under the same subgroup. Once I read a paper from the pending group and I move it to the read group for example I would like to automatically be removed from the pending. Is this possible? I know between skimmed and read it is possible by filtering keywords on the read status field. But for pending the read status field is blank

Also, is there a way to make a subgroup a default container. When I add an entry to my library is automatically added to the default "All entries" but I would like to be added as well automatically to the "pending" subgroup.

[k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz27]

Hello @manurare . I don't use the groups utilities in JabRef but I'd be willing to take a look at it if you can bare with me and my questions 😛

Regarding disjoint groups, I believe the answer is "sort of". There are dynamic groups based on free form search which support search syntax. Along the lines of,

Note that = is shorthand for contains, but according to the documentation you can use regex if you prefer.

Between keywords = and groups = , I believe you can create the wished for behaviour. As far as I know you cannot change the keyword based on moving it to a group, but I also don't know if this is what you want?

My suggestion for a "pending" group would be a free search expression along the lines of groups = "" and keywords != "read" and keywords != "skimmed". According to the documentation you should be able to assign new entries to a specific group but I can't find the setting, perhaps you have better luck?

Should there be more set operations than "union" and "intersection"?

[k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz27]

Issue #6908 seem related (regarding extending set operations)

[manurare]

Hey,

Thanks for the answer. You gave me a really good hint. Actually for the pending group I did like keywords|readstatus != "read" and keywords|readstatus != "skimmed".

The funny thing now is that (at least in my JabRef 5.1--2020-08-30--e023aa0) if you manage a group by free search expression, the color and icon you had assigned to that same group dissapear and the default color/icon (gray, rotated triangle) appear everytime you restart jabref. But minor issue.

[k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz27]

Good that you found a solution that works for you!

if you manage a group by free search expression, the color and icon you had assigned to that same group dissapear

That is unfortunate, I believe it is the same issue as #6999

[koppor]

I did not find the issue and thus created a forum entry: https://discourse.jabref.org/t/can-i-have-mutually-exclusive-groups/3015?u=koppor

Keywords for the issue search: mutually exclusive groups, entry in a single group

[koppor]

I reopened, because this IMHO not solved. - A first step is #8206, which allows to craft a search string like NOT(groups=excluded) AND NOT(groups=included), which indicates the "all others" group.

I use it for categorizing papers for related work on a paper: included, excluded, and TODO. With that query, all papers are in the "TODO" group and I can then move them into the other groups after handling (by using the drag'n'drop feature of JabRef)

[koppor]

After rereading, I stated the same as https://github.com/k3KAW8Pnf7mkmdSMPHz27

Thus, this feature should just be documented.

[ThiloteE]

Syntax that works for

JabRef 5.6--2022-01-30--8ca6b7f
Windows 10 10.0 amd64
Java 16.0.2
JavaFX 17.0.2-ea+3

and which is documented in JabRef docs here

• included
  use explicit selection

• excluded
  use the free search expression:
  not groups=included and readstatus=read

• To Do
  use the free search expressions:

  • not groups=included and not groups=excluded
    or alternatively
  • not groups=included and not groups=excluded and not readstatus=skimmed