Generating CSV export via API as link

c-sander

Is there a way that the API generates a CSV file for a collection/library on the fly, i.e. as a link that can be used within another app. Database tools like Ninox or Google Sheets have this functionality, and I assume the Zotero API could handle it, too, but maybe an additional service is needed that takes care of the query etc.

adamsmith

What's the use case? CSV is just not supported in the API because it's a bit of an odd format to export bibliographic information into (i.e., it's not standardized in any way).
Right answer below

Supported formats can be accessed via link: https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/web_api/v3/basics#export_format

dstillman

CSV works. The documentation was just out of date. Any export format supported by the client should work.

c-sander

Ah, great, thnx. Didn't check this out properly. How then would a link to a CSV look like? Can you post a template? Sorry, I should figure out this myself but I assume you've generated one in a heartbeat!

c-sander

I mean with a key -- public one is obvious.

c-sander

Use case: ingesting Zotero library into Google Sheet via IMPORTDATA

c-sander

If I use https://api.zotero.org/groups/2536132/items?key=...&format=csv
I get only the first 24 results and the unique keys change after every refresh...

c-sander

And &limit=100 will create 92 rows...I would need 250...

adamsmith

You can't get >100 items in a single call/link. That's standard for APIs.
See the documentation for details on how to paginate requests.

Using https://api.zotero.org/groups/2536132/items/top?key=...&format=csv
will get you the first 100 top level items in a CSV

For the API key, you'd want to create & set one in the settings: https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys ; don't copy it from the webpage (or where is the one that's always changing?)

c-sander

Very strange, I get only the header row plus 91 data rows...the library has 216 items currently, so it should at least show 100.

As for the key, I was not talking about the API key, but about the first column ("Key"), the unique identifier. Those keep changing (and have also minuscles) once I request the CSV.

dstillman

Are you using /top?

c-sander

Not sure, what "/top" is, but my cell in the Google Sheet is =IMPORTDATA("https://api.zotero.org/groups/2536132/items?key=***&format=csv&limit=100")

dstillman

Right, you're not using /top. See the API docs.

c-sander

Ah, "/top" made it in fact 100! But the "key" column keeps changing and is not identical to the CSV export via Client (but needs to be for my workflow)

c-sander

See yourself: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQoQJOJuNdUkDgKKClOYM3_goWTylLY7dYGLal5py5wrPKdxfx3NblatFgop19tpms1ajVwqjlOUkXu/pubhtml?gid=665507470&single=true

It will change the keys after a refresh (at least on my machine)

c-sander

&format=keys seems to give a correct list of the keys (but only those)

adamsmith

@dstillman -- any idea what's going on there? When exporting item['key'] via API (which is what CSV uses for the "Key"column), we're seeing a six digit alphanumeric key that includes lowercase letters (and isn't stable) as opposed to the 8-digit all caps key that I'd expect and that the local app produces.
See e.g. https://api.zotero.org/users/475425/items/X42A7DEE?v=3&format=csv

dstillman

The Key column is fixed now.