macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install btparselocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install btparse with Homebrew
BibTeX utility libraries. Version 0.35 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
BibTeX utility libraries
Project links
Commands and aliases
- bibparse
history
Project history and usage
btparse is the C parsing library bundled with the Text-BibTeX distribution, exposed to Homebrew users as BibTeX utility libraries. It matters mostly as infrastructure: a small, old, specialized parser that keeps bibliographic tooling from having to reimplement BibTeX syntax.
Project history
Text-BibTeX first appeared on CPAN in March 1997 under Greg Ward's PAUSE account. The distribution wrapped a C library, btparse, for parsing and processing BibTeX data and provided a Perl interface through Text::BibTeX.
The btparse manual describes a lexical scanner, LR parser, AST traversal API, name splitting, TeX string handling, and BibTeX-compatible string manipulation. Later releases moved maintenance to the AMBS PAUSE account and point MetaCPAN users at the GitHub repository.
Adoption history
Adoption is strongest in the Perl and bibliography-tooling ecosystem, where CPAN distribution history gives Text-BibTeX a long tail. Homebrew's btparse formula packages the native library side for users who need the parser outside a pure CPAN installation.
The package is niche but durable: its public release history spans from 1997 to a latest MetaCPAN release in 2025, which is unusually long-lived for a tiny parser library.
How it is used
btparse is used to parse BibTeX entries into an abstract syntax tree, iterate entries and fields, split author-name lists, and apply BibTeX-style string transformations. The Homebrew formula exposes the bibparse executable as the user-facing command.
It is not a credentialed service and does not have an official config file; it is library and command-line parsing infrastructure.
Why package nerds care
btparse is package-nerd archaeology: a C library from the late-1990s Perl/TeX toolchain that still ships through modern package managers because bibliographic formats are sticky and exact parser behavior matters.
It also shows how Homebrew sometimes packages a subcomponent by its native library name even when the canonical upstream distribution identity is a language package, Text-BibTeX.
Timeline
- 1997: Text-BibTeX 0.1 appears on CPAN under GWARD.
- 1999: Text-BibTeX 0.30-era releases include FAQ and btparse/Text::BibTeX documentation.
- 2025: Text-BibTeX 0.91 is published on MetaCPAN under AMBS with a GitHub repository resource.
Related projects
- Text::BibTeX is the Perl API built around the btparse parser.
- BibTeX is the original bibliography format and tool whose data language btparse targets.
- MetaCPAN and CPAN are the distribution history surfaces for Text-BibTeX releases.
Sources
- https://fastapi.metacpan.org/v1/release/Text-BibTeX
- https://fastapi.metacpan.org/v1/release/_search?q=distribution:Text-BibTeX&size=5&sort=date:asc
- https://github.com/ambs/Text-BibTeX
- https://metacpan.org/dist/Text-BibTeX
- https://metacpan.org/dist/Text-BibTeX/view/btparse/doc/btparse.pod
- https://metacpan.org/pod/Text::BibTeX
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 platform targets.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
bibparse | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version0.35
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://metacpan.org/dist/Text-BibTeX/view/btparse/doc/btparse.pod
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://metacpan.org/dist/Text-BibTeX/view/btparse/doc/btparse.podnone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:btparse |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.35 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/btparse |
| Homepage | https://metacpan.org/dist/Text-BibTeX/view/btparse/doc/btparse.pod |
| Repository | https://github.com/ambs/Text-BibTeX |
| Upstream docs | https://metacpan.org/dist/Text-BibTeX |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://cpan.metacpan.org/authors/id/A/AM/AMBS/btparse/btparse-0.35.tar.gz |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | btparse |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment