Windows file shortcut to collection

_Trebor

Hi guys,

does anyone know if/how you can create a file shortcut in Windows that allows you to easily open up specific collections inside of Zotero?
Im asking because I quite like having one central folder for each project I´m working on and it would be quite handy for that folder to not only include stuff like datasets and my text files, but also to contain a quick way to upen up the project specific Zotero collection for easiyer acces to literature.

I´m sorry if this has been asked/answered before, I didn´t manage to find a thread concerning this topic.
Any ideas would be very much appreciated! :)

emilianoeheyns

It's possible but only really feasible if you've synced your data to the Zotero servers (which is free if you don't sync attachments). You can type "open zotero://library/collections/:objectKey" in a shell, or create a website shortcut to that address, and Zotero will open to the collection you specify. The ":objectKey" part is the 8-character alphanumeric part after the last slash if you browse your synced library on https://www.zotero.org/ (so for me I'd see something like https://www.zotero.org/emilianoeheyns/items/collectionKey/5YD8D825 online for one of my collections, and I would use zotero://library/collections/5YD8D825 to open Zotero to it).

_Trebor

Thanks for the answer!
I just tried launching your command both in the browser and in the shell (<- using start zotero://(...) ). However, while Zotero does open up using both methods, it only opens this rather empty window: https://imgur.com/a/Wmdn83J (the Zotero instance in the background opens up as well, however it opens the last collection I used instead of the one I want it to open).

In terms of syncing I´m currently using webspace my university is offering it´s members to sync my library including attachments. As the bibliography of my library still shows up in on zotero.org I would assume that it should theoreticly work anyways (right?).

emilianoeheyns

Yep, should work. I can't test it though, I don't have windows.

dstillman

That's not the correct URL — it's missing a "select":

zotero://select/library/collections/:objectKey

emilianoeheyns

Right -- forgot that, I did that from looking at the source, forgot the prefix.

_Trebor

Thanks a lot guys, this works wonderfully!