# the variable "publisher"

**URL:** <https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/the-variable-publisher/480>\
**Category:** CSL Development\
**Created:** [June 22, 2008, 12:20pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/the-variable-publisher/480 "2008-06-22T12:20:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Andrea\_Rossato1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@Andrea\_Rossato1](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/u/Andrea_Rossato1)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 12:20pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/the-variable-publisher/480/1 "2008-06-22T12:20:17Z")

</div>

Hi,

the variable “publisher” is defined in both cs-names and variables,  
with “all-variables = variables | cs-date-tokens | cs-names”. The  
Python Reference class has both self.publishers and self.publisher.

Is there a difference between the two variables? If yes, why do they  
share the same name? If no, is it correct to define them in two  
different places like this?

Am I missing something?

Thanks for your kind attention.

Andrea

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johan\_Kool2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@Johan\_Kool2](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/u/Johan_Kool2)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/the-variable-publisher/480/2 "2008-06-22T13:52:40Z")

</div>

> Hi,
> 
> the variable “publisher” is defined in both cs-names and variables,  
> with “all-variables = variables | cs-date-tokens | cs-names”. The  
> Python Reference class has both self.publishers and self.publisher.

Good observation.

> Is there a difference between the two variables? If yes, why do they  
> share the same name? If no, is it correct to define them in two  
> different places like this?

I just followed the CSL schema, but added a plural “s” to those  
variables containing an array. But maybe Bruce knows better why it’s  
there…

```
 <names variable="publisher">
   <name form="short" and="symbol" delimiter=", " initialize- 

```

with=“.”/\>

```
   <text variable="publisher"/>

```

Anyway, the text-variable one is plaintext, where as the other would  
contain names. So they don’t really “bite” each other, but might be  
rather confusing indeed.

JohanOp 22 jun 2008, om 14:20 heeft Andrea Rossato het volgende geschreven:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bruce\_D\_Arcus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Bruce\_D\_Arcus1](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/u/Bruce_D_Arcus1)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/the-variable-publisher/480/3 "2008-06-22T14:49:41Z")

</div>

No. We should probably use one or the other; not both.

Given that no styles I know of use publisher in cs:names, it might  
make sense to remove “publisher” from the cs-names pattern.

OTOH, there’s one corner case to note that might suggest better to use  
cs:names: sometimes there is more than one publisher. I’m not sure how  
one would deal with that using the simple variable approach?

Bruce