[idea] Android Client for Zotero
I have an idea which might be possible if I could find an Android developer with some time on their hands.
Zotero uses an sqlite database to store all the information within zotero. Additionally it attaches pdf's and other documents to the citations in individual directories defined by a unique hashtag for each entry.
I am thinking about copying the entire reference directory, including all the pdf's and sqlite database from my computer to sdcard. Once there we could parse through the database, find articles with search based on the author name, publication year, and journal title. The file path location can be parsed directly from the database information and if integrated properly, should allow you to open the pdf with quick office or any other app just by clicking on it.
I would be able to willing to pay $10-20 for this kind of functionality depending on how difficult it would be to set up. Currently, I am setting up syncs with Evernote and Dropbox, but it just isn't the same.
Someone has already made clients for linux and windows which does basically what I mentioned previously, however it is designed in python. I know python, and would be able to integrate that with android if android-scripting had more advanced functionality, but I don't know java at all.
The linux / windows python based client (Gnotero) : http://www.cogsci.nl/gnotero
the xda-developer post is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=11458358#post11458358
Hopefully I get a response.
Zotero uses an sqlite database to store all the information within zotero. Additionally it attaches pdf's and other documents to the citations in individual directories defined by a unique hashtag for each entry.
I am thinking about copying the entire reference directory, including all the pdf's and sqlite database from my computer to sdcard. Once there we could parse through the database, find articles with search based on the author name, publication year, and journal title. The file path location can be parsed directly from the database information and if integrated properly, should allow you to open the pdf with quick office or any other app just by clicking on it.
I would be able to willing to pay $10-20 for this kind of functionality depending on how difficult it would be to set up. Currently, I am setting up syncs with Evernote and Dropbox, but it just isn't the same.
Someone has already made clients for linux and windows which does basically what I mentioned previously, however it is designed in python. I know python, and would be able to integrate that with android if android-scripting had more advanced functionality, but I don't know java at all.
The linux / windows python based client (Gnotero) : http://www.cogsci.nl/gnotero
the xda-developer post is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=11458358#post11458358
Hopefully I get a response.
You can run Firefox on Android, no? Zotero doesn't work?
If anyone tries this, please post on how it goes.
It might be simple to paste a scanned barcode number into a blank or existing record, but that is not terribly useful or efficient by itself, and I don't see how the rest of the process would work in the Zotero we know and love. One would be limited mostly to private copies of mostly commercial titles--which I recognize is a legitimate use. First, while library records usually contain ISBNs, they aren't uniformly labelled or queried. It would have to standardize on Amazon or something, which is quite limiting. Second, in academic libraries especially, you won't see a useful barcode. Library barcodes contain arbitrary database reference numbers, not UPCs, ISBNs, or even call numbers. Paperback covers are replaced with hardcovers, and jackets from hardcovers are thrown away. The ISBNs are thus only printed inside, as digits.
Just last week, I released Zandy, an Android client for Zotero. It's on the Android market, and the source code is available under the AGPL. Notably, it doesn't yet handle notes and attachments, but the other basic browsing and editing functionality is already there.
There is also another Android app that came out last week, Scanner for Zotero, which I haven't tried, but it seems to focus on adding items to your library by bar code / ISBN.