new export/import feature- export/import directory tree with files

rxde

Hi. I want to suggest another import/export feature. Imagine that when exporting our collections zotero creates file structure similar to our collection tree. So lets say that our collection looks like this:

So, in specified location zotero will create directory tree similar to our collection tree. For example it will create two folders named collection A and collection B. Inside of collection A folder it will create another two folders called subcollection C and subbcollection D. (and so on).

Each item in our collection or subcollection will be created in coresponding folder as a text file containing all metadata. If item has any attachments it will also create folder with the same name as text file (of course without .txt or other extension).This folder will cotain attachments attached to this item.
Attachemnts non attached to any item will be copied to folder named the same as collection containing them. If attachment was a saved web page it should create folder containing all files (html, css, images). To eliminate searching for index.html trough other files it will be good if there will be some kind of shortcut/link to index.html of that web page snapshot. This link should be placed in the same collection, subcollection or item folder as folder containing web page files. Additionaly each atachment has description, tag, and related, so it should create also a text file with this data named the same as atachment+.txt extension. This text file should be placed in the same folder as atachment.

With this suggested feature there will be a possibility of browsing and managing our data (after exporting) even without firefox and zotero installed- by simple file manager. Our data then will be more platform independent and still highly usable.

I hope that You understand me well. English isnt my native language. Sorry if I made any language mistakes.

rxde

an example:
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/1789/obrazra.jpg

What do you think about this idea? I know that it needs a lot of Your(developers) work but I think that it is worth it.

Tjowens

Hi rxde,

I think what you want is already covered by existing functionality.

1. If you want to share your collections with folks you can export them in Zotero RDF and include notes and files. Then just send the exported folder to anyone and they can import all the items, your collections, tags, notes, and files.

2. If you want to share things with folks that are not using Zotero why not use Zotero's new sync functions and share your library? If you don't want to share your entire library you can just create a group. In the near future groups will also have file storage, giving you the ability to share everything in a collection online.

rxde

I was rather thinking about making it more compatible with file managers and make a possibility of migration between file manager and zotero. Personally I would like to use zotero for management of my data. I download many web pages, especially those containing tutorials, manuals and other knowledge in disciplines that Im interested in and I organize them. I do not use zotero for reference or bibliografic management, Im not a scholar (but maybe I'll be someday, Im 19 years old). Today I would like to use zotero just to manage my own "knowledge repository" containing also pdfs, ebooks, audiobooks, software, and also to manage my private data. Zotero has very powerfull features like indexing, tags, related and other that for example scrapbook lacks and it seems to me that zotero can be very universal and powerfull application, not just only for scholar use. It is especially useful tool when you use it with firefox portable, as you can easily move with all your data.

Now I have a dilema. You propably know Konqueror -which is a powerful opensource file manager and web browser in one. It is a part of Kde desktop enviroment which is intended for linux, but there is also a version for windows. It is very useful as you can drag and drop files and folders between a folder opened in main part of konquerors window and a folder in directory tree which is located on the sidebar . You can also simply copy webpage to your own disk by drag'n'dropping from adresbar to directory tree. Konqueror supports browsing in tabs, embbeded text editor in browsers window, and many embedded file viewers. Unfortunately there is no portable version for windows :( .(I was even trying to make a portable version of it but I failed). And even worse: version for windows lacks features and functionality I mentioned above, only versions for linux and bsd has it. So my dilema is which to choose: firefox+zotero or konqueror. With this proposed feature there will be a posibility of moving between file managers and zotero, so no one will be stuck with zotero or file manager if person wants to change software. I know that it seems selfish of me but I think that many people will benefit from this feature. Hope you understand me. :)

balshemh

My apologies if this has already been answered elsewhere, but is there anyway to get a printout of all of my references by collection in a treeview like the software in the previous post does. I'd like to review the organization of my library and I'd prefer to get a printout that I can work from rather than reviewing online. Thanks

gesturgess

Yes I too am interested in this question, even if sometime after its original post. I would like to get a printout of the references. Is there a simple way to do this? Thanks.