Upgrade StorageSaving page snapshot directly from the desktop version of zotero
I understand the "proper" way to add data to Zotero is via the browser extensions. However, there are 2 problems with this approach that I encountered so far:
* Updating the snapshot of a page is a bit time-consuming. First, you need to reopen that page in the browser, then you need to either drag the address to the right place in Zotero, or save the page again (will be saved as a new duplicate item), and then merge the new and old items.
* Installing browser extensions can be impossible, for example on a PC managed by organisation. Then the whole workflow collapses.
Is it possible to update or add a snapshot of a web page without using the browser, when all other item data (including URL) is already available in Zotero desktop version?
* Updating the snapshot of a page is a bit time-consuming. First, you need to reopen that page in the browser, then you need to either drag the address to the right place in Zotero, or save the page again (will be saved as a new duplicate item), and then merge the new and old items.
* Installing browser extensions can be impossible, for example on a PC managed by organisation. Then the whole workflow collapses.
Is it possible to update or add a snapshot of a web page without using the browser, when all other item data (including URL) is already available in Zotero desktop version?
Not any faster than re-save and merge, I admit. And still requires a plugin, but a different one (SingleFile plugins exist in all major browsers, I think.)
You can also save the web page using the browser's Save As function, and manually drop it on your item in Zotero, but the resulting file(s) might not be as neat as one produced by SingleFile/Zotero.
Zotero has been planning to add an update functionality for a while, though I don't know if it ever included web pages.
The main point here is that Zotero workflow relies heavily on browser extension, and there is not much thought on what to do otherwise. Usually, in such cases the advise is to find a way to install the browser extension and make it work.
However, there are situations where installing the extension is not possible, for example in the corporate world. It would be great if this class of users could also be supported, even partially.
For those interested, this is what I do at the moment when I have URL that I would like to add to Zotero, and the browser extension is not available:
1. Copy the web page URL
2. Print the page into PDF
3. Open Zotero web. It allows importing URL's but only saves metadata, without attachments.
4. In Zotero desktop, sync my data, find the corresponding item, and attach the saved PDF to it.
It would also help if Zotero supported mhtml attachments - they are very similar to what SingleFile does, at least in purpose. Most browsers are able to save web pages in mhtml format natively, without any plugins.