gcc -o change change.c
chmod 755 change
./change infile outfile

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <ctype.h>

char linebuf[5000];
char newlinebuf[5000];
char patternbuf[500];


char *
change_citation()
{
   static char newbuf[500];
   static char newbuf1[500];

   char foundv = 0;
   char words = 0;
   char *q = patternbuf;
   char *r = patternbuf;
   char *t = patternbuf;
   char *n;
   char w;
   char fix = 0;

#if DEBUG
   fprintf(stderr, "patternbuf: %s\n", patternbuf);
#endif

   // count spaces and parse for ' v '. Set flag if found
   q = patternbuf;
   while (*q) {
      if (*q == ' ') words++;
      if (*q == ' ' && *(q+1) == 'v' && *(q+2) == ' ') {
         foundv = 1;
      }
      q++;
   }

#if DEBUG
   fprintf(stderr, "words: %d V: %d\n", words, foundv);
#endif

   // find end of citation
   while (*t) t++;
   // fix up brackets around citation year if necessary
   n = newbuf;
   q = patternbuf;
   while (*q) {
      if (q == t - 8 && *q != '(' ) {   // need to fix
         *n++ = *q++;
         *n++ = *q++;
         t = t - 6;
         *n++ = '(';
         *n++ = *t++;
         *n++ = *t++;
         *n++ = *t++;
         *n++ = *t++;
         *n++ = ')';
         *n++ = *t++;
         *n++ = *t;
         break;
      }
      *n++ = *q++;
   }
   *n = '\0';

   if (foundv)
      return(newbuf);

   // select a word and split on v
   q = newbuf;
   n = newbuf1;
   w = 0;
   while (*q) {
      if (*q == ' ') w++;
      *n++ = *q++;
      if (fix) continue;

      if ((words == 2 && w == 1 && *q == 'v') ||
          (words == 3 && w > 1 && *q == 'v') ||
          (words >= 4 && w > 1 && *q == 'v')) {
         *n++ = *q++;
         *n++ = ' ';
         *n++ = toupper(*q++);
         fix = 1;
      }

   }
   *n = '\0';

   return (newbuf1);
}

int
main(int argc,
     char *argv[])
{
   FILE *from, *to;
   char ch;
   char *lp = linebuf;
   char *p;
   char *pp;
   char *nlp;

   if ( argc !=3) {
       printf("Usage: change <source> <destination>\n");
       exit(1);
   }

   /* open source file */
   if ((from = fopen(argv[1], "r")) == NULL) {
       printf("Cannot open source file.\n");
       exit(1);
   }

   /* open destination file */
   if ((to = fopen(argv[2], "w")) == NULL) {
       printf("Cannot open destination file.\n");
       exit(1);
   }

   /* copy the file and fix up as necessary */
   while (!feof(from)) {
      ch = fgetc(from);
      *lp++ = ch;
      if (ch == '\n') {
         *lp = '\0';

         /* got a line */
        lp = linebuf;
        nlp = newlinebuf;
        while (*lp) {

           /* check for start of pattern */
           if (*lp == '[' && *(lp+1) == '[' ) {       // start of citation
              pp = patternbuf;
              while (*lp) {
                 if (*lp == ']' && *(lp+1) == ']') {  // end of citation
                    *pp++ = *lp++;
                    *pp++ = *lp++;
                    *pp   = '\0';

                    pp = change_citation();           // parse citation and change if necessary
                    while (*pp)                       // write citation out
                      *nlp++ = *pp++;

                    break;
                 }
                 *pp++ = *lp++;
              }
           }

           *nlp++ = *lp++;
        }
        *nlp = '\0';

        /* write out line */
        nlp = newlinebuf;
        while (*nlp) fputc(*nlp++, to);
        lp = linebuf;
     }
  }

   if (fclose(from) == EOF) {
      printf("Error closing source file.\n");
      exit(1);
   }

   if (fclose(to) == EOF) {
      printf("Error closing destination file.\n");
      exit(1);
   }

   exit(0);
}

#
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird v Jones (1845)]]).
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird v Jones (1845)]] and [[Smith v Jones (1865)]]).
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird et al v Jones et al 1845]] and arrest (see: [[Smith v Jones (1865)]]).
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird vjones 1845]]) and also arrest (see: [[Smith vjones 1865]]).
#
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird vjones (1845)]]) and arrest (see: [[Smith vjones (1865)]]).
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird Murphy vjones (1845)]]).
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird Murphy vjones smith (1845)]]).
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird et al vjones et al (1845)]]).

#
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird v Jones (1845)]]).
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird v Jones (1845)]] and [[Smith v Jones (1865)]]).
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird et al v Jones et al (1845)]] and arrest (see: [[Smith v Jones (1865)]]).
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird v Jones (1845)]]) and also arrest (see: [[Smith v Jones (1865)]]).
#
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird v Jones (1845)]]) and arrest (see: [[Smith v Jones (1865)]]).
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird Murphy v Jones (1845)]]).
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird Murphy v Jones smith (1845)]]).
false imprisonment (see: [[Bird et al v Jones et al (1845)]]).