tool-pzi

Manage a local BibTeX paper library via the pzi CLI for adding, searching, and exporting citations.

Updated Jul 3, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/mnazaal/dotfiles --skill tool-pzi-mnazaal
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: tool-pzi
Source: https://github.com/mnazaal/dotfiles/tree/main/.agents/skills/tool-pzi
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/mnazaal/dotfiles --skill tool-pzi-mnazaal

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Keeping a personal research paper library organized is tedious: papers arrive as DOIs, URLs, or PDFs, metadata is often incomplete, and exporting clean BibTeX for manuscripts requires manual cleanup. This Skill operates the pzi CLI to add, search, tag, validate, and export entries in a local BibTeX library. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Add papers from any source: Add entries by DOI, URL, or PDF, in bulk from files or an inbox, with idempotent behavior that avoids duplicates. - Search and export: Query by keyword, author, or year, inspect full records by citekey, and export the library as BibTeX or JSON. - Metadata maintenance: Validate citations with strict checks, fill missing metadata, promote preprints to published versions, dedupe, and manage orphan PDFs. - Use Case: Before submitting a paper, run a strict library check to audit citation metadata, promote any preprints to their published versions, and export the final BibTeX file. ## Quick Start Add the paper with DOI 10.1145/example to my pzi library, tag it as systems, and export the updated BibTeX.

Frequently Asked Questions about tool-pzi

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I add a paper to a BibTeX library by DOI?▼

Run pzi add followed by the DOI, URL, or PDF path, optionally with --tags and --json for structured output. The command is idempotent, so re-adding an existing DOI will not create a duplicate entry.

How to export BibTeX from a local paper library?▼

Run pzi export to write BibTeX to stdout, or use pzi export --format json for structured output you can pipe to jq. The export covers the entries in your configured library.

What do pzi exit codes mean?▼

Exit code 1 means the command ran but has something to report such as no matches or duplicates, 2 means bad invocation, 3 means entry not found, 4 means a batch partly failed, and 5 means it could not run due to config, lock, or permission issues.

Can pzi update preprints to published versions?▼

Yes, pzi update --promote replaces a preprint entry with its published version while keeping the same citekey. Use --dry-run to preview, --keep-preprint to keep both entries, and --limit to bound long rate-limited runs.

When should I use pzi versus full-text semantic search?▼

Use pzi for bibliographic metadata, citekeys, tags, and BibTeX export. Use tool-cementic for full-text semantic retrieval over local papers, and combine the two only when both metadata and content search are requested.