Will standalone ever have a built-in browser?

mpfirnhaber

I really like the idea of the standalone, but the fact that it still requires the user to install the FF plugin to get full functionality means it really does not "stand alone". In fact, it just becomes somewhat redundant.

I'm not complaining. I really do appreciate that the standalone exists, because it means that I will always have access to the research library I'm building. Even if Firefox goes away, or Zotero stops updating the plugin, I can still install the standalone and access all my data. Which is why I have the installer archived in several different places :)

But I think that integrating a basic browser with the standalone version would be ideal. It would mean that Zotero will always work as intended, even if Mozilla updates their browser and breaks some essential functionality of the plugin, and the plugin stops being updated regularly...

It would also be nice if the standalone were truly portable. Distributed in a zip file, not writing outside of its home directory by default, not relying on external components (web browser), supporting relative paths, etc. But I'll take whatever I can get.

Thanks for the amazing software. I wish it existed when I was in grad school!

adamsmith

Standalone almost certainly won't get it's own browser* - but one of its major raison-d’etres is that you're going to be more flexible with which browser you use. It already works with Chrome and Safari and will in the future work with other browsers via bookmarklet.
I'm not speaking for the Zotero devs here, but I don't think portability - as in carrying Zotero around on a usb stick - is going to be any priority moving forward. All trends in software development are pointing towards portability via cloud-type function and Zotero is moving strongly in that direction with mobile apps, server side translation, editing via the online interface etc.

*and there wouldn't be any advantage - the standalone browser would just be a mozilla derrivative. If your concern is breakage in some distant future or mozilla disappearing, you can still use an outdated mozilla version, which would be no more outdated than Zotero's own built-in browser.

Rintze

Also, for a portable solution, you can install the Zotero for Firefox add-on in Firefox Portable.

mpfirnhaber

Thanks for the information.

Regarding the move to cloud-based services, I've seen too many go down over the years. The thought of relying on someone else's servers to store my data is simply terrifying. That's why I like portable apps - I can archive them on a hard drive along with my documents, and keep running it no matter what happens...

And regarding portability, I've tried Zotero in portable Firefox and it works well enough. It keeps trying to grab settings from my regular Firefox installation, and the two don't like running simultaneously, but the functionality is still there. I guess I just like the idea of an all-in-one, dedicated app better than a plugin.

I'll just continue to build my library using the FF plugin's (impressive) functionality, and keep the standalone on hand in case of disaster.

(Don't mind me. I'm paranoid, pedantic, and picky)

Rintze

You know that Zotero stores a complete copy of your library on your computer, right? You can (and should) just back that up yourself.