# Using both BBL and BIB in one LaTeX document

I have a `.bib` file that contains information about some of my papers. I also have a `.bbl` file, automatically produced by BibTeX, that contains the compiled information (`\bibitem{}` series) of another set of papers.

How can I use both `.bib` and `.bbl` in one LaTeX document? If I simply use `\input` for the BBL, the numberings of references (and even themselves) will not be correct. A solution that let's me decompile the `.bbl` also works.

In this very case, using `.bbl` is no problem because it's in the bibliography style I am using. Also, all references in `.bbl` will be used in the file document.

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To make sure I understand your setup: First, you do not have access to the bib entries that were used in the creation of the existing bbl file, right? Second, are you using a numeric or an author-year citation and referencing style? –  Mico Mar 14 '12 at 0:16
No, I don't have access to the original `bib` file. It's IEEE style, which is numeric. –  Ali Mehrizi Mar 14 '12 at 4:32
Just got the same problem. Unfortunately, you can not get back from `.bbl` to `.bib` because `.bib` contains structured information while `.bbl` contains the generated `\bibitem{}` list according to specific parameters/style etc. Therefore- loss of information happens and you will not (at least in straightforward manner) get back to `.bib` entry. Maybe it is possible with some kind of regular expressions to reformulate the bib entries... So- for the moment, best thing I see is the one mentioned by Stephan Lehmmke in the answer. –  Vairis Oct 26 '12 at 12:55

I would forget about the `bbl` until the paper is just about finished, then generate a `bbl` from the `bib` one last time and merge both `bbl` files by hand, hand-adjusting the numbers.
The citations will be automatically correct as they refer to the `\bibitem` commands in the `bbl`.
In that case, I'm afraid the only way will be to create a `bib` file representing the `bbl`. –  Stephan Lehmke May 1 '12 at 7:06
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