How to set up a access over syncing connection?

86ul

Dear fellow users of Zotero,

It took a while, to formulate my question, but here it goes.

As the ZotFile seem to be a old and cold project (https://github.com/jlegewie/zotfile/issues/522), and knowing that Zotero will intergate some of its pdf features, I am wondering for an alternative. In case Zotero will also intergrate its (re)storing and accessing function, great. In case Zotero will not do that, is there an alternative to ZotFile (re)storing and accessing functions, including the subfolders and wildcards? Thus not syncing, but just accessing those files on another server.


Thus, what is a good alternative for ZotFile, when I use its (re)storing and accessing functions?


Why not using the (re)storing function of Zotero itself, you may ask.
- First, as I use Zotero to handle also most of my media, I prefer the way how ZotFile does this job, thus using wildcards over numbers: /Type/Publisher/Year/[Author] - [Title] instead of ~/Zotero/Storage/[Number]/[File]. Quit handy, when adding a file to an email, or when accessing with on another program such as Kodi or GIMP...
- Second, I am using the "Attach new file" function" quit often.
- Third, I prefer to have the unsorted files on one disk, and the sorted disk on another when using the first two reasons.
- Fourth and last, I prefer to store my attachments on another disk/home server, and to just access them on my desktop, without syncing/doubling it on my desktop with the syncing option of Zotero.


Thus short, I prefer a old and cold project, over a young hot bomb. Or will ZotFile fully be intergated into Zotero, including the wildcards? If not, what is a better way to (re)store my files?

I know that I can add the server disks over webDAV in Linux Mint 20.1C as yet another disk, but then I am still missing those wildcards...

dstillman

I prefer the way how ZotFile does this job, thus using wildcards over numbers: /Type/Publisher/Year/[Author] - [Title] instead of ~/Zotero/Storage/[Number]/[File]. Quit handy, when adding a file to an email, or when accessing with on another program such as Kodi or GIMP...

I know this is only one of your points, but note that, while it depends on the OS and email client, in many cases you should be able to drag a file from Zotero straight to an email. You can also of course always use right-click → Show File. For general browsing, Zotero generally offers better search options than a filesystem, and you can also set up a smart search in your OS that just lists all PDFs within the Zotero data directory in a flat list.

Adding more flexible renaming options, similar to ZotFile, is planned. The ability to customize the folder structure is unlikely to happen anytime soon, if ever — while in principle we'd like to make it easier to browse files from outside of Zotero, it just makes it vastly easier to accidentally break links to files, which just doesn't happen with stored files. Many library-based apps work this way, where they function as the primary interface to the underlying files, for this reason.

86ul

Sorry for this delayed reply.

On an email client: It seems that with Thunderbird 78.8.1 does 'work' a bit with Zotero. When I drag an parent item from Zotero into Thunderbird, I see the correct reference, but the file is not attached to that email. The same with the item/file itself, just the reference, no attachments.

On the "more flexible renaming options, similar to ZotFile": Is it an idea to just copy the code of ZotFile, because it is GNU GPL 3.0 (thus open source and easy to refer too) and it works already with Zotero (for me at least)? But again -as you may already know- I am here to learn...

dstillman

When I drag an parent item from Zotero into Thunderbird, I see the correct reference, but the file is not attached to that email.

You have to drag the attachment, not the parent item. When you drag a parent item from Zotero to any text field, you get a bibliography or export entry via Quick Copy. To get the file, you have to drag the attachment. Dragging a PDF attachment to the top-right corner of a Thunderbird compose window (where attachments go) works fine for me in Thunderbird 78.10.

On the "more flexible renaming options, similar to ZotFile": Is it an idea to just copy the code of ZotFile

I haven't looked at the ZotFile code, but it's probably not that useful. This is pretty trivial. Someone just has to implement it. (I'm also not sure we'd support exactly the same options — we'd need to review them.)

If someone wants to work on this, they can take a look at getFileBaseNameFromItem() and post to zotero-dev with any implementation questions.

86ul

Hum weird, because when I select the file of a parent item, and drag it to Thunderbird and release my left mouse when the hand is in the attachment box, no files are attached. But 1) I am using a older version of Zotero (5.0.96) and 2) the drag/drop issue is not my question.

In case ZotFile is really indeed trivial, common, vulgar, than what is the problem? Iff it is common, then it is easy to implement, because it is common...*

Although I am here to learn (as in to understand), I am thankful for your reply, but I am here not to learn AND write any digital language fully. But when the issue arrives that ZotFile does not work properly with Zotero, I will give a try...

In other words, I am still interested, but it seems a bit out of my professional reach...

*Indeed, human science is more my thing, than digital science...