Firefox Searchplugin

infekt · April 14, 2008

While using Zotero on an everyday basis, an idea just came to my mind:

Wouldn't it be a most valuable feature, having a firefox searchplugin in place that is searching (CTRL + K) the local Zotero collection and optionally (as soon as available) group-managed Zotero collections too?

As it is now, I have to enter:
CTRL + ALT + Z -> CTRL + ALT + L -> CTRL + ALT + K before having the chance to enter a search string.

What do you think about this idea?

dstillman · April 14, 2008

Zotero should focus the quicksearch field as soon as you open the Zotero pane (i.e., as soon as you press Ctrl-Alt-Z), which is how it's working for me on OS X and XP. Is that not the case for you?

We'll likely offer a search plugin for server-based collections, but for local collections, since the plugins are based on OpenSearch and (as far as I know) just construct query strings, I think we'd have to send the queries through the Zotero custom protocol handler (zotero://), which might be more effort than it's worth to reproduce search functionality already available in the Zotero pane.

infekt · April 15, 2008

Thanks for your reply. You are right: Ctrl-Alt-Z will focus the quicksearch field. But, if you select a folder or "saved search" in Zotero before (and not "my library"), then close the Zotero panel and next reopen it for a search, you will only search for this "restricted" content.

Thus, it would be helpful, to have an option (shortcut or general opt in field under settings or search) to open the Zotero panel with focus on quicksearch field and search on whole library.

But you are right, if the effort is substantial, it is possible to stay with CTRL + ALT + Z -> CTRL + ALT + L -> CTRL + ALT + K.