Biblatex and per-year subbibliography

Question

My question is how I can group the bibliographic records using biblatex on per-year-basis. I have tried the approach

\newcounter{mycounter}
\setcounter{mycounter}{2013}
\defbibcheck{intheyear}{
  \iffieldint{year}
  {\ifnum \thefield{year} = \themycounter
    {\skipentry}
    {} }
  {\skipentry}}

and then using the command

\printbibliography[title=2013
,heading=subbibliography
,type=article
,check = intheyear
]

changing the counter value manually, but this yields a result only if the command is called once. In the second calling of \printbibliography, pdflatex announces

! Incomplete \ifnum; all text was ignored after line <i>xx</i>.
<inserted text> 
                \fi 
<*> \input lpublications.tex

! Emergency stop.
<*> \input lpublications.tex

What I want to achieve is that I will have structure of references as

2013

Braham, A., Edrich, B. ...

Ecilie, C., Ietrich, D. ...

2012

.....

If this was done automatically according to entries in .bib file. It would be fine. I have really no idea how to do that.

Answer 1

In the code below the first \printbibliography composes a list of years which is then used in a loop to print other bibliographies. The sorting option is used to sort the list (thanks to user32884 for suggesting this).

\RequirePackage{filecontents}
\begin{filecontents*}{\jobname.bib}
@ARTICLE{a1,
 author = {Author},
 title = {Title},
 journaltitle = {Superjournal},
 year = {2003},
}
@ARTICLE{a2,
 author = {Buthor},
 title = {Ztitle},
 journaltitle = {Superjournal},
 year = {2000},
}
@ARTICLE{a3,
 author = {Duthor},
 title = {Ztitle},
 journaltitle = {Superjournal},
 year = {2002},
}
\end{filecontents*}
\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article}
\usepackage[english]{babel}

\usepackage[style=authoryear,]{biblatex}
\addbibresource{\jobname.bib}

\newcounter{mycounter}
\defbibcheck{intheyear}{
  \iffieldint{year}
    {\ifnumequal{\thefield{year}}{\themycounter}
      {}
      {\skipentry}}
    {\skipentry}}
\defbibenvironment{counting}
  {}
  {}
  {\xifinlist{\thefield{year}}{\yearlist}
    {}
    {\listxadd{\yearlist}{\thefield{year}}}}

\begin{document}
\nocite{*}
\gdef\yearlist{}%
\begingroup%
  \makeatletter%
  \def\blx@driver#1{}%
  \printbibliography[env=counting,heading=none,type=article,sorting=ydnt]%
  \makeatother%
\endgroup%
\renewcommand*{\do}[1]{%
  \setcounter{mycounter}{#1}%
  \printbibliography[title=#1
  ,heading=subbibliography
  ,type=article
  ,check = intheyear
  ]}
\dolistloop{\yearlist}
\end{document}