\documentclass[a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{times}
\usepackage[definethebibliography]{easybib.old}

\let\package\texttt % so \package{foo} comes out in \tt
\let\envname\textsf % so \envname{foo} comes out as \sf

\newbox\tempbox

\def\BOX{%
    \setbox\tempbox\hbox\bgroup
    \begin{minipage}{0.9\textwidth}
}
\def\endBOX{%
    \end{minipage}
    \egroup
    \par\bigskip
    \begin{center}
        \fboxsep=10pt\fbox{\box\tempbox}
    \end{center}
    \bigskip\par
}


\title{The package \package{easybib}}
\author{Enrico Bertolazzi\\\\
  Laboratorio di Matematica Applicata\\
  Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile ed Ambientale\\
  Universit\`a degli Studi di Trento\\
  Mesiano, Trento, Italy\\\\
  \texttt{bertolaz@ing.unitn.it}}

\date{}

\begin{document}
\maketitle
\begin{abstract}
The package \package{easybib} introduce some new items for easy
customization of the bibliography.
\end{abstract}



\section{Some examples with \package{easybib}}
Load the package using the usual syntax:
\begin{BOX}
\begin{verbatim}
   \documentclass{article}
   .
   .
   \usepackage[definethebibliography]{easybib}
   .
   .
\end{verbatim}
\end{BOX}
The option \verb+definethebibliography+ permits to override
the default \envname{thebibliography} environment.
The package introduce a complex form of \verb+\bibitem+ command
as the following example shows:
\begin{BOX}
\begin{verbatim}
\begin{thebibliography}{99}

\bibitem{PIPPO}
\by        Pippo
\paper     Le avventure di Pippo
\jour      Topolino
\page      120--123
\vol       3
\yr        1996
\addr      Via Verdi
\enditem

\bibitem{PIPPOA}
\bysame
\paper     Le avventure di Pippo 2
\jour      Topolino
\page      122--33
\vol       4
\yr        1997
\addr      Via Verdi
\enditem

\bibitem{PAPERINO}
\by        Paperino
\book      Viaggio Allucinante
\page      200-234
\yr        2023
\editor    Editrice Mia
\moreref
\book      Viaggio Allucinante 2
\page      23--34
\yr        2026
\editor    Editrice Mia
\enditem[.]

\end{thebibliography}
\end{verbatim}
\end{BOX}
do the following output:
\begin{BOX}
\begin{thebibliography}{99}

\bibitem{PIPPO}
\by        Pippo
\paper     Le avventure di Pippo
\jour      Topolino
\page      120-123
\vol       3
\yr        1996
\addr      Via Verdi
\enditem

\bibitem{PIPPOA}
\bysame
\paper     Le avventure di Pippo 2
\jour      Topolino
\page      122--33
\vol       4
\yr        1997
\addr      Via Verdi
\enditem

\bibitem{PAPERINO}
\by        Paperino
\book      Viaggio Allucinante
\page      200-234
\yr        2023
\editor    Editrice Mia
\moreref
\book      Viaggio Allucinante 2
\page      23--34
\yr        2026
\editor    Editrice Mia
\enditem[.]

\end{thebibliography}
\end{BOX}

\section{The command `bibitem'}
The complete form of the \verb+\bibitem+ command is the following
\begin{verbatim}
\bibitem`[custom label]'{LABEL}
   \by  Author name
   \bysame
   \book  Title of the book
   \paper Title of the paper
   \toappear
   \editor editorial 
   \jour   Journal name
   \page   pages number
   \vol    volume
   \yr     pubblication year
   \addr   pubblication address
\enditem`[optional puctation]` (default ;)
\end{verbatim}
all the items \verb+\by+, \verb+\bysame+,\verb+\book+,
\verb+\paper+, \verb+\toappear+, \verb+\editor+, \verb+\jour+,
\verb+\page+, \verb+\vol+, \verb+\yr+, \verb+\addr+ are optional
arguments. The \verb+\moreref+ command permit to write more reference
to the same author[s].

\section{Changing the appearance}
When displayed the item follows the rule
\begin{center}
  [format command] + [item value] + [puctation]
\end{center}
The \verb+[format command]+ is an unspecified command that takes
one argument.
The default rule for the defined item is the following
\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|l|}
\hline
item & format command & punctation \\
\hline
\verb+\by+       & \verb+\textbf+ & , \\
\verb+\bysame+   & \verb+\@bib@bysame+ & , \\
\verb+\book+     & \verb+\textsc+ &, \\
\verb+\paper+    & \verb+\textit+ &, \\
\verb+\toappear+ & \verb+\@bib@toappear+ &, \\
\verb+\editor+   & \verb+\relax+ &, \\
\verb+\jour+     & \verb+\relax+ &, \\
\verb+\page+     & \verb+\relax+ &, \\
\verb+\vol+      & \verb+\textbf+ &, \\
\verb+\yr+       & \verb+\relax+ &, \\
\verb+\addr+     & \verb+\relax+ &, \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{center}
where
\begin{verbatim}

    \def\@bib@toappear#1{to appear on \textit{#1}}
    \def\@bib@bysame#1{#1\hbox to3em{\hrulefill}}
    
\end{verbatim}
you can change the default format by the command
\begin{verbatim}

   \bibsetfmt{command name}{formatcmd}{punctation}
   
   for example
   
   \bibsetfmt{by}{\textbf}{:}
   
\end{verbatim}

\section{Adding items}
It is impossible to define all the possible items for an hypotetical 
user, so that I have added the possibility to introduce new items. 
The command is the following
\begin{verbatim}
    \bibinsertbefore{berfore item}{item name}{format command}{punctation}
\end{verbatim}
and this is an example of use
\begin{BOX}
\begin{verbatim}
\def\Aut#1{\textsc{Author #1}}
\def\Tit#1{\textit{\textbf{Title #1}}}
\bibinsertbefore{by}{preby}{\Aut}{:}
\bibinsertbefore{book}{prebook}{\Tit}{:}
                
\begin{thebibliography}{99}

\bibitem{PIPPO1}
\by        Pippo
\paper     Le avventure di Pippo
\jour      Topolino
\page      120-123
\vol       3
\yr        1996
\addr      Via Verdi
\preby
\prebook
\enditem

\bibitem{PAPERINO1}
\by        Paperino
\book      Viaggio Allucinante
\page      200-234
\yr        2023
\editor    Editrice Mia
\preby
\prebook
\enditem[.]

\end{thebibliography}
\end{verbatim}
\end{BOX}
    
\begin{BOX}
\def\Aut#1{\textsc{Author #1}}
\def\Tit#1{\textit{\textbf{Title #1}}}
\bibinsertbefore{by}{preby}{\Aut}{:}
\bibinsertbefore{book}{prebook}{\Tit}{:}
                
\begin{thebibliography}{99}

\bibitem{PIPPO1}
\by        Pippo
\paper     Le avventure di Pippo
\jour      Topolino
\page      120-123
\vol       3
\yr        1996
\addr      Via Verdi
\preby
\prebook
\enditem

\bibitem{PAPERINO1}
\by        Paperino
\book      Viaggio Allucinante
\page      200-234
\yr        2023
\editor    Editrice Mia
\preby
\prebook
\enditem[.]

\end{thebibliography}
\end{BOX}
to introduce an item at the end of the list use \verb+{}+
as first argument of \verb+\bibinsertbefore+.

\end{document}