Zotero 7 "Rename File from Parent Metadata" not working?

samanthaculp

Hi, I just upgraded last night and I am not sure if this has been brought up already, but I just added a few items that imported the main citation fine, but the attached PDF was just titled "Full Text PDF". When I right-clicked that and selected "Rename File from Parent Metadata", a little dialogue box says that that action is happening, but then nothing changes and The file still is titled "Full Text PDF". I thought I should quit Zotero and relaunch to see if it would update, but nothing. When I select "Show in Finder", it DOES show that the file has been renamed with the appropriate name ("Author - Year - etc etc"), but it still doesn't show it within Zotero. Is there a setting I need to change? Or is this a bug that needs to be fixed? Thanks, Samantha
edit: attaching screenshot that shows how the attached PDF title looks in Zotero, and how it looks in "Show in Finder"
https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u1713377/h4lfw8du564li76dvd9s.jpg

dstillman

https://www.zotero.org/support/file_renaming#attachment_title_vs_filename

samanthaculp

Hi @dstillman, thanks for flagging that - so basically in Zotero 7, there is NO way to make the attachment display with the actual file name? Or is there any advanced preference to adjust this (or plugins that address it)?

dstillman

You can view the filename in the right-hand pane after clicking on the attachment.

And to be clear, Zotero has always renamed files automatically. Unless you edited the metadata after saving the item, you never need to run Rename File from Parent Metadata, and an upcoming version will automatically keep the filename in sync with the parent item metadata.

samanthaculp

Yes, I realize that Zotero renames files automatically, but I often have to edit metadata, then rename.
OK, that's great to hear that "an upcoming version will automatically keep the filename in sync with the parent item metadata" ! Do you mean it will then display it visually in the item itself? And do you know when this "upcoming version" may be released?

dstillman

Do you mean it will then display it visually in the item itself?

No, I'm saying that the filename will be automatically changed as you edit the metadata, so you'll never need to manually run Rename File from Parent Metadata.

samanthaculp

I understand that the filename will be automatically changed as I edit the metadata... I'm just wondering if there might ever be future support for some customization that would allow me to see the file name instead of "Full Text PDF" underneath the item in question. Like in this screenshot example, I wish that it were possible for the circled "Full Text PDF" to actually say "Padbury - 2024- etc". It feels like a downgrade to not have the actual filename be visible in the location where it *was* indeed visible in Z6.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u1713377/d4qgi0y0q2wpe1yfwynr.jpg

dstillman

The reasons for this are explained on the linked page. Every part of the filename is already shown in the parent row in that screenshot. Why do you want to see the filename?

And no, it's not correct to say that the actual filename was visible in Zotero 6 — Zotero has always had attachment titles like "Full Text PDF" that were separate from the filename. Again, the linked section explains the exact difference in behavior and the reasons the title might have been getting set to the filename before.

Linyinzheng

I'm having the same issue. Here's the comparison of the previously added items and the newly added ones. The latter have the renamed pdf shown as "PDF".
I understand that zotero may not intend to display the full names before, but that was actually more convenient (to me, at least).
https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u8801794/pqs9br2a2vck2a4veygv.png
https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u8801794/l3crr95rg2xhgo6d1d29.png

dstillman

@Linyinzheng: It's all explained on the linked page. You can say why you prefer seeing filenames, but there's no problem to report here — it's behaving as intended.

poettli

Out of curiosity, what is more convenient? It is just redundant information already provided in the main window (title, author, date...) and in the right panel.

Linyinzheng

I see, thanks for replying.

Well, for the reasoning of the preference:

The current display is alright, and I see the point here - the window looks clean and neat, without showing repetitive information.

However, I personally think the previous display is more convenient, because "PDF" doesn't show any identifying information - one raw is just fine, but when you get a block of items with the same naming for the files, it's easy to click the wrong file. When the full names of the files are displayed, I won't have to shift my eyes to the right panel or other places, to double check if I'm going for the right file.

dstillman

Well, if you're going to shift your eyes anywhere, it would just be to the parent row. You don't need to click on the attachment and then look in the right-hand pane.

More importantly, you don't actually need to expand the parent item at all to open the attachment — you can just double-click on the parent item without expanding it. And the simpler naming prevents parent items from being unnecessarily expanded in the first place when you search for the title or author in All Fields & Tags mode. Your screenshots show exactly that: I don't know if the first screenshot was for a search, but in the second screenshot, "PDF" didn't match the search and wouldn't cause the parent item to be expanded, so you just wouldn't need to look at it at all in order to open it.

Linyinzheng

Yes, I completely understand your point. And you just reminded me, that they don't match search is a good thing that I didn't think of.
My preference could also just all because that I became familiar with the previous version, I will try to get used to the current version.

Xiu-Lei Ren

BTW, I noticed that some time ago, @dstillman said
"In any case, as we've said repeatedly, we plan to offer an option to show the filename instead of the attachment title for people who prefer that. "

I am wondering if such an option is planned or not, and when available.

samanthaculp

Just to bump @Xiu-Lei Ren's question, I'm curious if such an option is planned for the future?

aborel

dstillman explicitly said that is is planned, so yes?

Timelines for development are generally not announced by the Zenodo developers.

davidhowarth

First, hurrah for the new version. Great!
I know this isn't existential but fwiw, I agree it's better to show the filename, not generic file format info in the list. I have read the linked page and get it but, if nothing else, the correct filename signals that the (stored) file has been updated.
Also, there are also lots of attachments in my library that persist in showing the original filename gobbledygook, not "PDF" (or anything else), even after selecting rename from parent metadata.
Bring on the option to show filename! :)

dstillman

@davidhowarth:

if nothing else, the correct filename signals that the (stored) file has been updated

But that's the point — files in Zotero have always been renamed! You really don't need to check. I promise you it works and always has. This is what I'm saying — people got into the habit of running Rename File from Parent Metadata on every single item, thinking that was necessary to rename files, but it just never was. They have always been automatically renamed.

And if you are manually running Rename File from Parent Metadata after making manual updates to the metadata, in Zotero 7 we added a popup in the bottom right to show that the filename is being changed. (This will also become unnecessary soon, as we'll be adding continuous file renaming as metadata is changed.)

Also, there are also lots of attachments in my library that persist in showing the original filename gobbledygook, not "PDF" (or anything else), even after selecting rename from parent metadata.

Yes, because Rename File from Parent Metadata no longer overwrites the simpler titles unnecessarily. That was a bug that has been fixed. The linked page contains some code you can run to quickly change existing attachments with titles based on the filename to use "PDF" instead. Clean titles everywhere!

iagogv

BTW, I noticed that some time ago, @dstillman said
"In any case, as we've said repeatedly, we plan to offer an option to show the filename instead of the attachment title for people who prefer that. "

I am wondering if such an option is planned or not, and when available.

+1. Indeed, https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/comment/444392/#Comment_444392
And also
https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/comment/440321/#Comment_440321

I understand @dstillman and other Zotero developers decision on management of attachment titles, but I do not understand, why, if so many users want to see the filenames in the middle pane instead, they do not offer that option, even if they believe with good reasons to it that it is a worse option.

mechleon

I'm frustrated with the same problem, and I don't understand why 7 isn't working like the previous version. I store several PDFs under a single item and up to now have had no problem modifying the name of each attachment In fact, for attachments already in place before the update, these match the file name as it is stored in Zotero structure. But for new items added, I'm just getting "PDF." So now, some attachments show up in Zotero as matching the file name as it is actually stored, and others don't? How does that make sense?

dstillman

@mechleon: This is all addressed on the linked page.

https://www.zotero.org/support/file_renaming#attachment_title_vs_filename

marijane

I just want to add my voice to the chorus: I would prefer it work the way it used to. I don't really care about the source of the PDF, I don't experience it as clutter, and I do not care about the potential impact on search results.

The fact that all my pre-7 PDFs show the filename in the item list makes newly added items appear broken.

I am inclined to return to version 6 until this is a user-configurable option in 7.

Hashan93

Just to make sure its heard, I also strongly prefer to see the actual name of the paper that pops under the main entry. Just having a generic PDF name or some random string of numbers annoys the hell out of me.
I was running a beta test version of ZOterro thats ahead of the current version and was so annoyed that I reverted to the base version to see if it was a bug in the dev version to submit a bug report.
I dont mind if the developers prefer it that way, I would like to have the option to change it, just like it was before all these years. Thanks!

Hashan93

OK. After a brief test of renaming all my 4GB worth of papers, I kinda understand what devs were going for. I guess I'll retrain myself to the new way. I am a convert now.

Andy_Border

+1 for the option of seeing the actual name of the PDF file.

aborel

For balance: I for one am very happy with the simplified attachment titles. It was a little bit confusing at first, but now I appreciate the reduced noise when I search through my library.

tallish_paul

Many thanks to the developers for the new Zotero 7. However, one area that bothers me a bit is the file title and filename renaming options. I've read and understood the dialogue here so far, and the link that Dan posted.

Context: I like having a filename that includes date, title, author, keyword just in case I need to use it outside of Zotero. For example, copying to someone, or just in case I ever have a Zotero meltdown - I can extract the files from the storage and be able to identify them. Never say never.

I really liked the option of keeping the file title the same as the filename in Zotero 6, because my filenames contain useful info for me at a glance. Can this be reinstated as an option? Currently with Zotero 7 I have to copy the filename and paste to the file title.

Even with the advanced syntax of Zotero file naming, I can't quite get the filename that I want, so I adjust it, no issue. If the planned future Zotero renames the files when metadata changes, that'll mess up my filename - can we have an option to not update the file title and filename?

carriesnyder

Thanks for all the work on Zotero 7. But yes, I would like to go back to the way it was, where it showed the actual PDF filename!

stefankesslerife

From my part also a big thumbs up to all Zotero developers, it has always been a pleasure to work with this software and the deep customisation possibilities are part of its success, I think. At least for me.

Now for the topic on renaming files vs. seeing the actual filename instead of the generic "PDF" attachment title in one record I very much understand that this is just a different approach to label this item as "PDF" instead of formerly showing the redunant information of the acutal file name at this place.

It wouldn't be a problem for me if evey record in my database had only one single file attached to it. I am used to attach multiple pdfs to one single record, e.g. when scanning chapters from a book and storing them separate as "chapter 1", "chapter 2", "front matter" etc. under one single record (i.e. the book the chapters were scanned from). Also, when working with historical sources that are physically stored in one single dossier, the 'multiple files stored in one record'-approach has sometimes advantages, e.g. for when I want to cite only the dossier and not any single document in it (i.e. the citation then points to the dossier). For now, when I create a new parent record and attach my scans to them, the first one I drag onto that record gets the "PDF" label and is being renamed according to the metadata of this record; only from the second one on, the actual filename is shown as a label (instead of "PDF"), and only those files are not automatically being renamed on import (I understand that the first "PDF" item has indeed been renamed, whether "PDF" is shown as a label or not). A third use case is when I create a record of, say, a book and do not want to attach a pdf/scan with content from this very book but information, e.g. some review, about that book. These are ways I have worked with Zotero for a long time. It surely might not be the most generic use case, but hey, it's down to preferences and individual use of the software.

What sometimws works as a workaround is when I drag a file into the collection without first creating a parent record – unless the auto-information-collect-feature does not find an enough similar record to create a new record with – in that case – false metadata. Another workaround would be to first drop a generic file onto a record, after creating a new (empty) parent record, and then add all the subsequent files, ultimately deleting the generic file.

If "PDF" or whatever other label an actual file is assigned to should not affect the results of a search, it might, from my understanding, be better if you decide to generally not include file lables into the search. Then, it would be easy to provide an option to "revert" to the "messier" look of having redundant file name and record information close to each other in addition to a more cleaner looking collection view.

For me, it has always been a habit to have all record entries closed, since double-clicking on one record has opened the attached pdf file already in Zotero 6. Opening a record only happens if I wanted to look for a specific/other file than that who is being opened on double-click or when I already know that a record has several individual files stored in it. This said, opening a record in Zotero 7 would now tell me 'yes, there is a "PDF" file attached to this' but then, even this cleaner approach would show me redundant information, because I could tell that a record has a pdf file attached to it alone from the PDF-icon showing in the list of records in the utmost right column. From this stance it's more a UI-decision and not a functional one. I would gladly appreciate an option to have filetype vs. file name shown when opening a record.

Hope these insights somewhat help in the process. And thank you again for all your work!