automatic naming of attached pdf files

dda-gre

Hi folks,

I just did a strange experiment... on the following web page :
http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/6/4653/2006/acp-6-4653-2006.html

I clicked on the address bar zotero icon to get both bibliographic data and the paper's pdf (I have the automatic pdf downloading option on). everything got into zotero, with an attached pdf named Atmos. Chem Phys. PDF in the zotero window.

yet when I actually opened the pdf, it appeared to be named Sander et al. 2006 - Carbonate precipitation in brine

OK, I like the automatic name very much, but why is it not the name apearing in the zotero window ?

dda

adamsmith

zotero automatically renames pdfs it attaches according to a string specified in the hidden preferences (the default is author year - title ) - the title in the Zotero window is the one given to the file by the publisher.

dstillman

the title in the Zotero window is the one given to the file by the publisher

Well, it's the one given to it by the translator.

What it should do is debatable, however. (Note that that thread predates the Rename File from Parent Metadata feature.)

dda-gre

At first, when I started automatically grabing pdf when creating the library item, I was kindof disapointed that zotero would keep strange names such as acp-2009-blabla.pdf

and then, discovering the "rename associated file" feature, I started using it systematically.

and then, I just forgot once, and so discovered the automatic naming of downloaded pdf files

to me, it just seems strange the way it ends up:
the original name on the journal server is somewhat explicit : acp-6-4653-2006.pdf and contains informations that are useful (can be usedd in sholar, for exemple)

and it is replaced when dowloaded by 2 different names, one for the actual file, that makes sense (name, date, title is very fine in my opinion) and another for the name into zotero, this one being totally generic, with only the journal name

I guess I'll just have to get used to it

dstillman

I guess I'll just have to get used to it

Well, not if you and others make the case that the default behavior should be changed.

This could also be implemented as an option, but I guess the first question is whether anyone prefers the "generic" name (e.g., "New York Times Snapshot", "Atmos. Chem Phys. PDF") over the (customizable but non-translator-specific) filename.

adamsmith

I slightly prefer the snapshot that tells me where an attachment comes from (i.e. the current form)- but I don't care all that much (there are other ways to know that) and this has repeatedly created confusion - so I think changing it would make sense.

mark

Well, not if you and others make the case that the default behavior should be changed.

I've always found the generic snapshot names confusing. This is probably related to the fact that about one third of my PDFs are scanned (and not scraped/downloaded by Zotero). These I drag onto the item and they become 'attachments' for which the file name simply shows up. But scraped PDFs behave differently, and that doesn't make sense to me. In the context of my library, a PDF is a PDF, and all PDF attachments should behave the same.

The 'rename PDF from parent metadata' feature adds to the confusion, for in the case of externally added PDFs the new name shows up immediately, whereas for scraped PDFs you don't see the effect unless you select 'show file'. Besides I'm not interested in seeing 'JSTOR Full Text PDF'. That duplicates information from the repository field.

I recognize that this may not hold for everyone. But the fact that the topic keeps coming up here suggests that the default is probably not the most intuitive, though I suppose one can get used to it. I would be very happy if the default behaviour were changed to the more transparent one; or at least if the more transparent 'all files show their true filenames' behaviour were available as an option. (Or even a hidden pref, for my part.)

komrade

I would also strongly support being able to turn on an "all files show their true filenames" option. I think actually this would make the more intuitive default, with "retain source information as attachment label" as an extra option when you turn on "PDF auto-renaming".
I don't really care where the PDF came from - it's what's in 'em that counts!

mark

Yet another user mystified by this here; for him too, current behaviour makes the Rename PDF from Parent Item feature look confusing. And there was another recent thread on the same issue that I didn't keep track of.

FrankBase

I echo this feature request.
It would be an useful option to let all attached PDFs behave in a standardized way.

djcrowley

Ditto: if the pdf file has been renamed by zotero, the name in the zotero window should match it.

I always assumed that the current behavior was a bug, not a feature, because the behavior seems so inconsistent. But it's also insignificant.

scottpowell

I'd like to add my support for a feature change here.

The confusion seems to come from Zotero recognizing both the document Title (given by the document's creator and presumably held in the metadata - shown at the very top of the right Zotero pane and the middle one) and the physical Filename (listed lower in the right pane and what you see in your computer's file browsing system). I think it is good to have access to both, but most mainstream software only uses (and shows the user) the physical Filename. Consequently, I think many people expect the Filename to be the name used in the middle pane in Zotero.

There are good arguments for making Title and Filename the same or keeping them separate, but how about a new preference option so that all are happy?

I would be pleased to see a new preference for "automatically update document Title when the Filename is changed".

Those that want it can use it, those that don't can keep it off.

chrisleeder

I would like to see filenames in the center pane update when you use Rename PDF from Parent.

'JSTOR Full Text PDF' just is not useful. If you choose to rename, you should see the new name!

mark

So, Dan, is this enough people making the case that the default behavior should be changed?

Arvind

this post explains a lot of what i thought was weird buggy behaviour - i, for one, did not even know that zotero did automatic naming (because this definitely didn't happen in the past) so i assumed that the only renaming happening was when I explicitly asked for it; yes, the displayed "file name" only changes for explicit renames on manually imported PDFs

i'd vote for consistency across use cases - we have 4 parts to this:

1. (optionally) rename PDFs automatically when acquired (whether drag-n-drop or automatic download)
2. keep the displayed name the same as the actual filename

for those who don't want renaming - because they want to keep track of the source

3. introduce a source repository field (might involve changing the display UI)
or
add the source repository in brackets to the displayed name
4. optionally, rename the file on export for comprehensibility when outside of zotero

dstatman

I support this feature, with its implementation as suggested by Komrade and Arvind. I have no use for a generic "ScienceDirect Full Text PDF" title, but (pack rat that I am,) I would like to see potentially important information retained and not discarded.

mark

Dan, can I ask again for the status of this issue? It does seem quite clear now that a significant number of users find the default behaviour confusing.

srippon

One more vote to automatically set all attachment titles to filenames please!
(I've also browsed and have not seen a single person express a strong opinion in the other direction, I don't undestand why this has not been changed? Current behavior is confusing, especially when Zotero is used in conjunction with external tools that access attachments directly, e.g. Windows Search)

mark

Dan or another dev, could you let us know whether this request has been noticed at all? It seems such a simple change to make and it would make so many users happy (or at least less confused)!

adamsmith

Yes, Dan knows about this an has stated somewhere else that it will be changed.

dstillman

OK, changed in the latest dev build to always update attachment title on Rename File from Parent Metadata. The change will be in 2.0b7.5.

An option to keep filenames named after the attachment title (and to apply automatic renaming to the attachment title) should be doable (and has been a ticket for a couple years), but it won't happen for 2.0.

FrankBase

It works!
Thanks a lot, really needed this one.

mark

This is great. Now there's a workaround to get rid of attachment names that hold repository info instead of actual filename: do an advanced search for Title="JSTOR Full Text PDF" (for example), select all, and choose "Rename File from Parent Metadata". If all is right your file names already are as they should be, but this takes care of the uninformative attachment name and changes it to the filename.

scottpowell

Thanks for this change. It is greatly appreciated.

Indi

do an advanced search for Title="JSTOR Full Text PDF" (for example), select all, and choose "Rename File from Parent Metadata"

When I do this exact advanced search, and select all, I don't see any option to "rename file". There is no option or tool like that in the search window, and right-clicking on the found items gives no contextual menu.

If I go to the regular Zotero library, I can select items individually, right-click, and get the option to rename. But the mass renaming would be much faster.

adamsmith

Create a save searched - then do select all and rename in the virtual folder/saved search.

Indi

Create a save searched - then do select all and rename in the virtual folder/saved search.

Thanks, that worked--but only when I did NOT check the "parent and child" feature in the search window. When I had that checked, the resulting group wouldn't give me the rename option in the contextual menu.