EBSCOHost translator error

brkim

Awhile ago while using Zotero 2.0.9, the translator for EBSCOHost quit working for me, so I had to start inputting all my sources by hand. And now that I've updated to Zotero 2.1.1, it's still not working.

ajlyon

See http://www.zotero.org/support/troubleshooting_translator_issues

In particular, try #4 & #10 (updating and resetting translators). There have been some updates in the past months.

brkim

Yeah, I've tried those things (and tried them again just now), but with no success. I'm able to import sources from other sites (e.g., amazon, google.com/books, my library's web page), just not from EBSCOHost.

ajlyon

I have a test version of the EBSCO translator-- give it a try.
Go to http://github.com/ajlyon/zotero-bits/raw/master/EBSCOhost.js and save the file to the translators directory of your Zotero data directory (http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data).

If it works for you, let me know.

brkim

No, nothing changed, unfortunately.

ajlyon

Please provide a Report ID.

brkim

Where do I find a Report ID?

ajlyon

See http://www.zotero.org/support/reporting_bugs

Click the save icon in the address bar, then submit an error report as described above, and post the ID here.

brkim

The Report ID is 322261178, and the URL of a site that causes the problem is:

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.wheaton.edu/ehost/detail?hid=113&sid=528c3137-ad5e-41cf-9bd5-d47745e56537%40sessionmgr112&vid=3&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001762887

ajlyon

Devs: Can you post the relevant portion of brkim's report?

Simon

[JavaScript Error: "Error: Permission denied to access property 'evaluate'" {file: "file:///Users/brittanykim/Library/Application%20Support/Firefox/Profiles/a60vc71q.default/zotero/translators/EBSCOhost.js" line: 0}]

Not quite sure what is causing this.

ajlyon

Oh. That is odd. Could proxying be causing the issue here? I don't ever use proxies, so I don't know.

Simon

Yes. The plink URL that the EBSCOHost translator uses is on a different host (search.ebscohost.com), so Zotero doesn't automatically proxy it. Furthermore, because it's in a text box and not an actual link, EZProxy doesn't mangle it automatically to send it through the proxy. The translator either needs to be modified not to use the plink or to mangle the plink for the proxy on its own.

Simon

Actually, I'm not sure whether modifying the translator to mangle on its own would do the trick, since it's still a different subdomain.

ajlyon

I'll pass this on to EBSCO-- maybe they can make some changes to improve the situation.

So this would appear to break all proxied EBSCO users?

brkim

I'm not quite sure what all of this means, but I didn't used to have any problems with this. Would it have broken because of updates to EBSCO or EZProxy?

BTW, thanks to both of you for your help on this!

Simon

Avram, this certainly breaks EBSCO through a proxy for me. I'm not sure how/if it works directly, since seems as though there would be similar problems because of the changing hostname (maybe the page sets document.domain?).

brkim, it looks like a change to EBSCO has broken the translator, at least in conjunction with a proxy. We're looking into how to fix it.

jg123

Hi,
This is Josh Geller from EBSCO Publishing. I have been investigating this issue, and with some help internally found the problem to be in the way Wheaton College is configured in EBSCOhost admin. I will forward this string to our Customer Satisfaction group and have them get in touch with their contact at Wheaton to resolve the issue. The problem is that, while you are using a proxy to access the site, Zotero uses the persistent link on the page to gather the information it needs, and the persistent link (or permalink as it is now called) is configured NOT to use the proxy. It is a combo box change in admin to add the proxy to the permalink. I will pass this information on to those that can resolve it.