Zotfile - linking stored PDF - not renaming and moving, it creates a copy instead

ango1267

Hi!

I have been noticing that when I manually link a PDF file to an article in Zotero it does not actually move the file and rename it, rather, it copies that file and creates a new file that is moved and renamed. I end up deleting the original file afterwards.

Does anyone know if this is a bug or a setting issue?

I have it currently set to a custom location for files with subfolders that are defined by /%c. There are no issues with the renaming rules, and the duplicated files are renamed and moved correctly. I find it odd that it is not 'moving' the files but creating a copy of the pdf.

tim820

How are you manually adding the file ? If you drag a PDF from a folder in your OS onto a Zotero item, Zotero will first copy the file to a folder under Zotero\storage; and then Zotfile will kick in and rename/move it from that location to its Custom Location folder, as a linked file. So the original copy of the file in your OS folder will still exist in that scenario, just as a result of how Zotero works. The same auto-sequence of local Zotero storage first, then Zotfile rename/move, occurs with PDFs added via the Zotero web connector.

There are different ways of adding linked files to Zotero to cover other scenarios. You just choose a method to get closest to the end result you want. That method may be the same or different, depending on the way that the attachment file comes to you for manual addition to Zotero, and where you put it (eg manual download, email, existing PDF file on your computer etc).

You can manually add a linked file by using Zotero's right-click Attach Link to File or modifier-key* drag & drop into Zotero - both after first placing the attachment file in your desired linked file folder. The file obviously remains in that location (so no copying occurs); and Zotfile is not involved, so it does not rename the file.

Or you can use Zotfile's right-click Attach New File, on the latest-dated file saved to the designated folder in Zotfile preferences - in that case the PDF will be renamed/moved to Zotfile's Custom Location. That's the method I usually use for manually added files (most of which do not come from another, existing folder in my OS).

Of course if you forget and sometimes end up with an attachment file in local Zotero storage (under Zotero\storage), just use Zotfile's right-click Rename & Move.

The fact that you're using Zotfile's %c option - to have Zotfile move PDF attachments downloaded by the Web Connector to a collection-name-matching subfolder under the Custom Location folder - likely makes it a little more complicated to use the above 'non-Zotfile' ways of adding files manually. There may be some additional limitations for manual addition when you want files to end up in a sub-folder under Zotfile's Custom Location. I don't use %c so I don't know what those might be.

*hold down Ctrl + Shift (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Option (Mac) while dropping.
https://www.zotero.org/support/attaching_files#adding_files_via_the_zotero_window