group export filename specification

dmbortz

Hello,

I'd like to propose that zotero be able to have an explicit function to export a collection (and not just the personal library). See:

https://github.com/zotero/zotero/issues/487

for the original discussion.

Briefly, I administer a private group library called mathbioCU. Members of the group add entries/pdfs to the shared zotero group on a daily basis. We all use the group bib file (mathbioCU.bib)

And, yes, I know that one can "Select All, right-click, Export Items". In that case, the name of the created file is always "Exported Items.bib". I'd want it to be the name of the collection, i.e., mathbioCU.bib.

While our group uses bibtex, this would presumably benefit anyone who wants to export the bibliography of an individual collection.

Lastly, note that this 'collection export' functionality is already implemented in the plugin "Zotero automatic export 1.1.8" by Robert Kuhn. I just thought it would be more convenient if the functionality was a part of the main zotero program.

D

dstillman

I think you're still sort of missing the point here. There's already a ticket for the right-click option, which means it will happen. There's no need to post in support of that. As adamsmith told you on that ticket, if you have a concern about the filename of the exported file, that's a totally separate issue and what you should make clear that you're posting about (e.g., by using a more specific thread title here (you can edit your original post to fix that) and not distracting the discussion with talk of the right-click option).

dstillman

I assume what you mean is that the existing export option for My Library creates a file named My Library.bib, and you're assuming that an equivalent function for groups would name the file similarly for groups. That's a fair assumption, but if you want to make sure that's kept in mind, you should make clear that that's what the issue is.

Anyway, if your concern is solely that you want a group export option as in that ticket and you want the file to be named after the group, you don't need to post in support of it and there's nothing more to discuss — it's planned and will happen once someone gets around to implementing it.

(Also, you're saying "collection" where you mean "group". A "collection" in Zotero is something else. You can already export collections from group libraries, and those files are already named after the source collection.)

dmbortz

Ah, apologies, I thought I was posting as requested.

I think part of my confusion between 'group' and 'collection' is that the Kuhn plugin has the option of "Export collections". And, further, one can export a collection "named by its name".

So, I honestly don't know if I should be calling it a group or a collection as I'm fairly new to zotero.

D

dstillman

No problem — we were just misunderstanding each other. But this will happen as you want, when it happens. (If something is on GitHub, it has already been agreed upon and is just awaiting implementation.)

So, I honestly don't know if I should be calling it a group or a collection as I'm fairly new to zotero.

You mean "group library" here. "Collections" in the context of Zotero are the folder-like (with the emphasis on 'like' — they're different from folders) things within libraries, and they exist in both personal and group libraries. If you right-click on a collection, you'll see that there's already an "Export Collection" option.

dmbortz

This confused me until I created a collection within my group. Now I see that the export option for a collection already exists. So, the source of all confusion was my not understanding that I should create a collection within the group, and then export...

So, I still think it would be convenient to be able to export all entries in a group (without "Select All, right-click, etc."), but I can effectively have the same functionality by only having one master collection in the group.

Thanks again to all for your efforts at making this software!