[papercuts] (26) Clipboard import into an open collection UPDATED
Allow me to repeat a request that was first made back in 2009. When importing an item from the clipboard, please create a mechanism that allows it to be directly imported into an open collection instead of into its own collection.
When items are downloaded using the address bar icon they are placed in the open collection. Even when each article record must be downloaded separately (in the case of articles being in different journal issues, etc.) from a website that isn't Zotero-friendly; it is still easier than hand-entering the information. However it seems to me unnecessary work if in addition to having to: 1) download a BibTeX or RIS file; 2) edit it so that it fits the standard that allows Zotero to read it, and 3) copy it to the clipboard and import it to Zotero; needing to also: A) open the new temporary collection with the one item; B) move the record to the desired collection; C) remove the item from the single-item useless collection; and then D) delete the collection.
In a later comment on the papercuts thread, it was suggested that a problem with my request might be that importing into an open collection would be inconsistent with other import behavior. I think that the current system of importing from the clipboard into a new collection is inconsistent with the import behavior when items are brought into Zotero from the address bar icon.
This has been discussed / requested on earlier forum threads:
In the thread: http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/283/
Dan Stillman wrote:
"In Zotero 2.0: Select BibTeX text, copy to clipboard, and use "Import from Clipboard" in Zotero's gear menu (or open/focus the Zotero pane and use the keyboard shortcut specified in the Shortcut Keys pane of the Zotero prefs). This will currently create a new import collection each time, which it possibly shouldn't." (emphasis mine)
See also
http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/10457/
http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/15324/
http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/7867/
Thank you for considering this for a future version of Zotero.
When items are downloaded using the address bar icon they are placed in the open collection. Even when each article record must be downloaded separately (in the case of articles being in different journal issues, etc.) from a website that isn't Zotero-friendly; it is still easier than hand-entering the information. However it seems to me unnecessary work if in addition to having to: 1) download a BibTeX or RIS file; 2) edit it so that it fits the standard that allows Zotero to read it, and 3) copy it to the clipboard and import it to Zotero; needing to also: A) open the new temporary collection with the one item; B) move the record to the desired collection; C) remove the item from the single-item useless collection; and then D) delete the collection.
In a later comment on the papercuts thread, it was suggested that a problem with my request might be that importing into an open collection would be inconsistent with other import behavior. I think that the current system of importing from the clipboard into a new collection is inconsistent with the import behavior when items are brought into Zotero from the address bar icon.
This has been discussed / requested on earlier forum threads:
In the thread: http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/283/
Dan Stillman wrote:
"In Zotero 2.0: Select BibTeX text, copy to clipboard, and use "Import from Clipboard" in Zotero's gear menu (or open/focus the Zotero pane and use the keyboard shortcut specified in the Shortcut Keys pane of the Zotero prefs). This will currently create a new import collection each time, which it possibly shouldn't." (emphasis mine)
See also
http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/10457/
http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/15324/
http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/7867/
Thank you for considering this for a future version of Zotero.
This seems a small-ish change, no? Maybe we could even still get this into 3.0?
RIS files import directly into Zotero when you download them using Zotero for FF. It may be possible to replicate similar functionality for Standalone.
So, options:
1) Always import from the clipboard into the current collection, regardless of import size.
2) Have a pref that toggles the behavior.
3) Have a cut-off size (which for technical reasons might need to be in bytes rather than items, but I'd have to check the code) above which a new collection would be created.
4) Have a size above which Zotero would prompt whether you wanted to import into a new collection.
5) Ask each time regardless of size.
These options could also be applied to file-based imports.
A prompt with a "don't ask again" checkbox that mentions that you can change the setting in the preferences.
My current practice when bringing items via the address bar icon is to make a choice between selecting a particular collection where i want them to reside or creating a new collection for them. It would be great to have more flexibility with imports from the clipboard.
Btw, has this already been implemented?