"Export Library" questions

cl417

I have been fooling around with Zotero's File>Export Library command because I'm interested in being able to create new, self-contained libraries that can be accessed via different Zotero profiles.

My preliminary experiments, in which I export attached files as well as bibliographic data from a Collection, indicate that the Export Library command creates a named folder containing a Firefox RDF file (which is an XML file, not an sqlite file) and a subfolder named Files which contains integer-named subfiles which contain the attachments. The named folder is not a normal Zotero library (ie. it's not a data directory), but it appears that I can create a new and normal Zotero library (and data directory) by importing the named folder into a new and empty Zotero profile.

This is what I want to do, so I'm happy that I can do it, but I'm wondering what the point of having the RDF format is.

So here are my questions (I'm on a Mac running Zotero 5.0.45):

1. Why doesn't Zotero just export the new library as a new, self-contained data directory that can be directly opened as a regular Zotero library if a new profile is created using that data directory? Why create an unopenable, but importable, intermediate RDF-formatted entity?

2. Does the RDF format have other uses? Is the point of the RDF format that it can be opened by other reference software? Where can I find more information about the RDF format?

3. I tried to export a Saved Search, but this just exported my whole library. Is there a way to convert a Saved Search into a Collection that can be exported as a library?

4. When I was installing different versions of Zotero last week to try and deal with my multiple profiles problem, I noticed that at one point in the process there were two Zotero icons in my Dock. I assumed that having two icons was not a good thing, because running two versions of Zotero at the same time would probably cause conflicts due to the two versions both trying to access the same data directory and auxillary files. So I just closed both icons.

But maybe I was wrong. Is it possible to run two different releases of Zotero at the same time if I create different data directories for each one? Or are there other Zotero files and folders (ie. Application Support/Zotero/profiles.ini) that would still be shared and therefor cause a conflict.

An ideal situation for me would be if I could have multiple libraries, with each library being able to be opened by simply double-clicking on a different Zotero icon. This would be more convenient than having to close Zotero and then reopen it so as to be able to select a new profile for a new library, which leads to question 5.

5. Is it possible to switch profiles without closing Zotero and then starting up again?

adamsmith

1. There's rarely a use case for exporting one's whole library that doesn't have a better alternative, but exporting individual collections or references etc. can be very useful e.g. if you want to send someone a couple of references. It's also just good practice to allow comprehensive data export.

2. Theoretically it could be, in practice I'm not aware of any other software that uses it. There was a not unreasonable expectation that at least a subclass of this would see more uptake when it was introduced back in 2007(?). That hasn't happened and Zotero is looking towards a different format (JSON-LD based principally on schema.org) as its full export going forward.

3. Just drag its contents to a collection?

4. Not sure on this. I don't think it'll cause any major issues (e.g., no database corruption) especially if you're not using browser and word processor integration, but it's also entirely untested&unsupported.

5. No

dstillman

4) You don't need multiple versions of Zotero to use multiple profiles. See Multiple Profiles.

5) Yes, you can run multiple instances of Zotero at once. Instructions linked from the linked page. Word processor integration won't work, though, as noted there.

cl417

Hi adamsmith and dstillman,

Thanks for your answers.

dstillman,

I looked at the pages that describe running multiple instances of Zotero and multiple profiles:

https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/multiple_instances
https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/multiple_profiles

The multiple instances page says that I can run multiple instances of Zotero as long as each instance points to different data directories and profile directories. Here are three questions:

1. I know that I can point Zotero to different data directories by using the Zotero>Preferences>Advanced>Files and Folders dialog box. But how do I point an instance of Zotero to a different profile directory?

2. How do I actually install two instances of Zotero? The page says I can run multiple copies of Zotero either by using multiple profiles or by running Zotero in separate OS accounts.

It seems to me that when I had two profiles installed I wasn't running two instances of Zotero. Since I had to restart Zotero each time I wanted to use a different profile, it appeared to me that I was running the same instance of Zotero, just using a different profile each time.

And running Zotero in different User accounts sounds like more trouble than it's worth because then I would have to log into a new account every time I wanted to use a different instance of Zotero, which is more of a pain than just restarting Zotero to choose a different profile.

So here's my third question:

3. Can I just run the installer program from the "Zotero-5.0.45.dmg" installation file another time and put the new instance of Zotero into my Applications folder? Can I rename each instance of Zotero (ie. rename one copy of Zotero "Zotero Books" and one copy "Zotero Papers") so that I can tell them apart and so that I don't have two files with the same name in the same folder? Or do I have to install a different version of Zotero (ie. 5.0.20 and 5.0.45) for each instance?

****

P.S. Here is a summary of my current profiles directory situation:

This is the location of the profiles directory:

/Users/Lamb/Library/Application Support/Zotero

Within that Zotero folder are two items: a profiles.ini BBE file and a folder named "Profiles". Here is the text of the profiles.ini file:

[General]
StartWithLastProfile=1

[Profile0]
Name=default
IsRelative=1
Path=Profiles/e8u33x1j.default
Default=1

Within the "Profiles" folder is a single item: a folder named "e8u33x1j.default" And within that folder are a bunch of files and folders that I presume are particular to the e8u33x1j profile (and I only have one profile installed at the moment.)

And last week when I had two profiles (the default profile and a "Zotero Papers" profile) and was accidentally using my home folder (/Users/Lamb) as a profile directory, this was the complete text of the profiles.ini file:

[General]
StartWithLastProfile=0

[Profile0]
Name=default
IsRelative=1
Path=Profiles/0kuktgpk.default
Default=1

[Profile1]
Name=Zotero Papers
IsRelative=0
Path=/Users/Lamb

dstillman

But how do I point an instance of Zotero to a different profile directory?

With the -p flag, as explained in Multiple Profiles.

How do I actually install two instances of Zotero?

As I say, you don't need to do that. You're just using different command-line flags, and as the page says, you can create separate shortcuts with those.

dstillman

For shortcuts on a Mac, you can use something like this:

https://superuser.com/a/116237

I've added a note about that to the Multiple Profiles page.

cl417

Hi dstillman,

Thanks again for your answers. I will look into writing different AppleScripts for different profiles so that I can launch the individual libraries with one click. But I assume that I would still need to close an instance of Zotero running one profile before starting another instance with a different profile, even if I'm using an AppleScript.

adamsmith

But I assume that I would still need to close an instance of Zotero running one profile before starting another instance with a different profile, even if I'm using an AppleScript.

I'm not sure why you would assume that when dstillman tells you exactly the opposite above? The updated multiple profile page has details.

dstillman

This is the very first sentence on the Multiple Instances page:

You can start multiple instances of Zotero at the same time as long as they're pointing to different profile and data directories.

cl417

Okay, thanks, I get it now.