PDF exporting

ragdoll

I think it would be very useful, and IMO also easy to implement, the possibility to export the entire set of PDF files attached to the elements of the library.
For me, for example, it would be useful because I have an ebook reader. I can not transfer to it the directory structure of Zotero, I need to have all the PDF files in a single directory, in order to manage them easily.

dstillman

Try this: Create a saved search for Attachment Content: PDF, do a Select All in the items list, and drag everything (slowly—Zotero might need time to catch up, since, not knowing what you intend to do, it also generates citations) to a filesystem folder.

You might need to do some pruning in the target directory, since it might copy HTML snapshots that got in the way, but that should do more or less what you want.

ragdoll

Thank you, didn't try saved searches yet.
However, this method is not so usable. If I do the search I also get, for every PDF attachment, its parent and the corresponding snapshot with the name in light gray.
Then, if I select all the results, and try to drag and drop them to a folder, nothing happens.
I have to select the PDF items one by one and then do the dragging.
When I will need to move tens or hundreds of PDF files this will not be an easy way to do it.

dstillman

You shouldn't need to select only the PDFs. You may just need to wait a few seconds for Zotero to generate citations. Try selecting only a few (including the ones in gray) and see if that works. It works fine for me in 1.0.3 on OS X and XP.

ragdoll

I tried with 2 results, i doesn't work.
When do I have to wait?
I've done this:
selected all results,
clicked and held mouse button,
dragged remaining in zotero windows,
waited,
dragged into a folder,
waited,
dropped.
Nothing happened.

jimdelaney

Why not create a search or smart folder on your Desktop to find all PDFs in your Zotero folder? This works well in OSX and Gnome. I expect that it should be easy to do in Vista as well.

QwertyFive

I think this is a good way to export one's library. Can ragdoll's suggestion be implemented somehow? Preferably the ability to export only PDFs, and also export PDFs using some of the file organization specified in Zotero by the user (their own defined folders, etc).

ragdoll

@jmdelane
Tanks for your advice. I'm using Windows XP and I didn't know it was possible to save searches.
But there is still a problem. If I have different collections in Zotero and I want to export only the PDFs of one collection, I can't use the saved search. In fact it retrieves PDFs from the whole library.
Therefore, I think PDF export function is still useful.