bibclean ☆

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Description:
BibTeX bibliography file pretty printer and syntax checker

Type: Formula | Latest Version: 3.07@0 | Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Developer tools

Tags: bibtex latex formatting academic validator

Install: brew install bibclean

About:
bibclean is a utility that parses BibTeX bibliography files to identify and correct formatting inconsistencies and syntax errors. It reindents entries, balances braces and parentheses, and standardizes whitespace to improve file readability. The tool serves as both a pretty-printer and a rigorous syntax checker to maintain clean and valid bibliographic databases.

Key Features:

Syntax validation and error reporting for BibTeX files
Automatic pretty-printing and reindentation of entries
Standardizes brace balancing and whitespace formatting
Preserves file integrity while correcting common formatting issues

Use Cases:

Cleaning up BibTeX files exported from reference managers
Validating bibliography syntax before compiling LaTeX documents
Standardizing formatting in collaborative academic writing projects

Alternatives:

bibtex – The standard BibTeX processor focuses on generating bibliographies, while bibclean specializes in formatting and syntax validation.
bibtool – bibtool offers more extensive database management and sorting features, whereas bibclean focuses primarily on pretty-printing and error detection.

License: GPL-2.0-or-later

Bottles available for: arm64_tahoe, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_ventura, arm64_monterey, arm64_big_sur, sonoma, ventura, monterey, big_sur, arm64_linux, x86_64_linux

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 13, 2025 11:46am		0	VERSION_BUMP	53796c1b