# Help on Strings

Bibtex supports storing constant strings using `@String {key = value}`. JabRef supports managing them using BibTeX -> Edit strings, which opens the String Editor. These values can be used in fields. For example, you can have:

    @String { kopp = "Kopp, Oliver" }
    @String { kubovy = "Kubovy, Jan" }
    @String { et = " and " }

and then in some entry for example: `@Misc{ author = kopp # et # kubovy }` or `@Misc{ author = kopp # " and " # kubovy }`. In the JabRef field editor, the author has to be inserted as `#kopp# #et# #kubovy#` or `#kopp# and #kubovy#`.

JabRef enhances the concept of Strings to add a type to those `@String`s. The issue is how to preserve such type of a string in a bibtex file. JabRefadds the type though prefixes:

- `@String { aKopp = "Kopp, Oliver" }` is a `@String` with the type author.
- `@String { iMIT = "{Massachusetts Institute of Technology ({MIT})}" }` is a `@String` with the type of institution.
- `@String { anct = "Anecdote" }` is a `@String` of type other.
- `@String { lTOSCA = "Topology and Orchestration Specification for Cloud Applications" }` is a `@String` of type other.

Then `@String`s of type author should be used for author and editors fields only. `@String`s of type institution should be used for institution and organization fields only. `@String`s of type publisher should be used only for publisher fields. And finally `@String`s of type other can be used anywhere.

It can also happen that you will have the same institution for more types:

- `@String { aMIT = "{Massachusetts Institute of Technology ({MIT})}" }` if the institution will appear as author or editor
- `@String { iMIT = "{Massachusetts Institute of Technology ({MIT})}" }` if the institution will appear as institution or organization
- `@String { pMIT = "{Massachusetts Institute of Technology ({MIT}) press}" }` if the institution will appear as publisher.

Even if the last example may appear contradicting the intention was to remove duplicity and unify the names of persons and institutions.