The -a option suppresses prompting for an abstract; asking for an abstract is the default. Abstracts are ended with a CTRL-d. The -p option causes addbib to use a new prompting skeleton, defined in promptfile. This file should contain prompt strings, a tab, and the key-letters to be written to the database.
The most common key-letters and their meanings are given below. Addbib insulates you from these key-letters, since it gives you prompts in English, but if you edit the bibliography file later on, you will need to know this information.
%A Author's name
%B Book containing article referenced
%C City (place of publication)
%D Date of publication
%E Editor of book containing article referenced
%F Footnote number or label (supplied by refer)
%G Government order number
%H Header commentary, printed before reference
%I Issuer (publisher)
%J Journal containing article
%K Keywords to use in locating reference
%L Label field used by -k option of refer
%M Bell Labs Memorandum (undefined)
%N Number within volume
%O Other commentary, printed at end of reference
%P Page number(s)
%Q Corporate or Foreign Author (unreversed)
%R Report, paper, or thesis (unpublished)
%S Series title
%T Title of article or book
%V Volume number
%X Abstract --- used by roffbib, not by refer
%Y,Z ignored by refer
Except for `A', each field should be given just once. Only relevant fields should be supplied. An example is:
%A Bill Tuthill
%T Refer --- A Bibliography System
%I Computing Services
%C Berkeley
%D 1982
%O UNX 4.3.5.