Problem importing Endnote RIS (.txt) w/ pdf attachments after upgrade to v4.0.3

v. 4.0.3 Zotero Standalone on Windows7 64-bit machine, EndNote 6.0

In the previous version of Zotero, I was able to import an EndNote file after adding the attachment line in EN Output Styles. Both the RIS (.txt) file and the Endnote Data file (pdf folders) are in the same location per earlier instructions.

I was able to import over 10,000 references and about 5000 attachments in a short period of time with the earlier version.

I am trying to import two EndNote libraries - one with 167 references and almost as many pdfs, and one with 498 references and pdfs. THe first folder and RIS file are located in a DropBox folder. The second is on the Desktop.

In both cases, when I go to File/Import, Zotero hangs with the import status bubble unchanging at a small % of import (just a small amount of green). I tried this with both folders, and waited over 8 hours.

I have tried to create the problem in a way that allows me to log the problem, but the only way I can get Zotero up and running again is to use Task Manager to end the program. When I reopen Zotero, it has created the import folder but nothing is inside. The reports and log files are empty upon restart.

I tried to import the pdfs and auto-recognize directly, but most of the pdfs seem not to have recognizable metadata.

Do I need to revert to v.3.0... to get this to work? Is there something new I need to do to import from EndNote libraries in the new version?
  • I am trying to import two EndNote libraries - one with 167 references and almost as many pdfs, and one with 498 references and pdfs. THe first folder and RIS file are located in a DropBox folder. The second is on the Desktop.
    Can you try this without file attachments? Also, maybe you can figure out which item in particular is causing the crash by progressively cutting the RIS file in half. It would be helpful to get a minimal case. I'm trying to trigger the crash as well. I'll let you know if I get anywhere.
    I have tried to create the problem in a way that allows me to log the problem, but the only way I can get Zotero up and running again is to use Task Manager to end the program. When I reopen Zotero, it has created the import folder but nothing is inside. The reports and log files are empty upon restart.
    See http://www.zotero.org/support/debug_output#real-time_debug_output
  • I tried it in Standalon again with and without attachments (although now EndNote's Refman output style includes L1: attachments, so I just moved the .txt to a folder without the attachment file. I don't know if I should have edited the output style first not to include the L1 line, or if Zotero just ignores that line if it can't find an attachment.

    Then I tried in Zotero for Firefox, and it worked very fast with and without attachments. Then I realized the Firefox version is still 3.0.14.

    I'm going to import and sync and keep the Firefox at the old version for now.

    Then I'll try to turn on debugging in W7 and reproduce the problem
  • I was wrong about Firefox version importing the pdfs. Unlike Standalone, it didn't freeze up, but it only imported the citations and not the attachments. I followed all of the instructions here:

    http://www.zotero.org/support/kb/importing_records_from_endnote

    And the filepath for .txt and Endnote data files are the same.

    I followed this procedure in Standalone 3.0.14 and got all of the attachments. I am going to try again in Firefox so as to produce a log.
  • I had to follow the instructions here in both Zotero for Firefox 3.0.14 and 4.0.3...

    IMPORTING FROM ENDNOTE:

    http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/5311/

    Zotero's RIS import does have the ability to import PDFs and Endnote does export links to your PDFs in the RIS files it generates. The problem is that Endnote does not give the full path to the file.

    You should be able to import all the PDFs by using a single find and replace statement.

    You will want to find
    internal-pdf://
    And then replace it with
    file://location/where/endnote/stores/your/pdfs


    Later in that thread one of the Zotero developers said this would not be necessary in the new version.

    However, doing the Find/Replace DOES NOT fix the problem in Standalone 4.0.3.


    AS AN FYI, I think related to the evil that is EndNote,

    Not only did I have to do the find/replace, but because the file structure seems to have changed in EN6, resulting in filepaths that look like this:

    C:\Users\Reif\Documents\MJCC.Data\PDF\Pederson2011-0463589890\Pederson2011-0463589890.pdf

    When you do the Find/Replace up to ....PDF\

    ENDNotes REFMAN .RIS export produces text that looks like:

    internal-pdf://Pederson2011-0463589890/Pederson2011.pdf

    You have to go back and do FIND/REPLACE to change the last " / " to " \ "
    to get the attachments to import.

    I don't have the old version of EndNote installed anymore, but there used to be an option, I believe, to convert between fixed or relative links, which would have solved this problem, I think, but I can't seem to do it in EN6.


    IN SUM:
    Zotero 4.0.3 for Firefox seems to do fine importing attachments with Endnote .ris files using the old method, but nothing I do makes it work in Standalone.

    I don't have time to figure out the debugging so will continue to use Standalone and FF versions until I get all my libraries into Zotero.
  • Could you post a sample RIS entry? Just one entry starting with TY and ending with ER that contains an attachment should be fine.
  • I exported a few with different types of enteries and varying amts of info.



    TY - JOUR
    AB - The author reflects on the participation of media in the Arab world's alteration to changes and the effect of the development in the ascendance of public opinion. He argues that the increasing distribution of television networks contribute to determine the government and peoples status in the country's socio-political dynamics. An overview of the history including the effect of the modification in the present situation. He suggests that conceptual research is important in the area.
    AN - 33342092
    AU - Zayani, Mohamed
    DB - ufh
    DO - 10.1163/187398608x317423
    DP - EBSCOhost
    KW - EDITORIALS
    PUBLIC opinion
    MASS media
    TELEVISION networks
    SOCIAL surveys
    RESEARCH
    DYNAMICS
    ARAB countries
    ARAB
    MEDIA
    Public
    SATELLITE TELEVISION
    SPHERE
    L1 - internal-pdf://Zayani2008-1756058881/Zayani2008.pdf
    M1 - 1
    M3 - Article
    N1 - Zayani, Mohamed 1; Email Address: mzayani@aus.edu; Affiliations: 1: American University of Sharjah, UAE; Issue Info: Jan2008, Vol. 1 Issue 1, p60; Thesaurus Term: EDITORIALS; Thesaurus Term: PUBLIC opinion; Thesaurus Term: MASS media; Thesaurus Term: TELEVISION networks; Thesaurus Term: SOCIAL surveys; Subject Term: RESEARCH; Subject Term: DYNAMICS; Subject: ARAB countries; Author-Supplied Keyword: ARAB; Author-Supplied Keyword: MEDIA; Author-Supplied Keyword: Public; Author-Supplied Keyword: PUBLIC OPINION; Author-Supplied Keyword: SATELLITE TELEVISION; Author-Supplied Keyword: SPHERE; NAICS/Industry Codes: 519110 News Syndicates; NAICS/Industry Codes: 515120 Television Broadcasting; Number of Pages: 20p; Document Type: Article
    PY - 2008
    SN - 18739857
    SP - 60-79
    ST - The challenges and limits of universalist concepts: Problematizing public opinion and a mediated Arab public sphere
    T2 - Middle East Journal of Culture & Communication
    TI - The challenges and limits of universalist concepts: Problematizing public opinion and a mediated Arab public sphere
    UR - http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=33342092&site=ehost-live
    VL - 1
    ID - 77
    ER -


    TY - JOUR
    AU - Zaboot, Tahar
    L1 - internal-pdf://Zaboot-1194810626/Zaboot.pdf
    PY - 2010
    SP - 201-210
    ST - La pratique langagière de locuteur(s) bilingue(s)
    T2 - Synergies Algérie
    TI - La pratique langagière de locuteur(s) bilingue(s)
    VL - 9
    ID - 109
    ER -


    TY - JOUR
    AB - The International Wellbeing Index (IWI) has been developed as a complementary measure to already well-known economic measures, and as a tool for cross-cultural comparisons. It comprises two subscales: the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) and the National Wellbeing Index (NWI). The aims of this paper are two-fold. Firstly, to test the psychometric characteristics of the IWI. Secondly, to study how people of Algeria, a third world country that is yet suffering from a harsch economical and social situation, respond to questions dealing with their own lives and life in their country in general, compared to samples from more developed countries where wellbeing was previously measured. The IWI items were presented to individuals either in a questionnaire form to be self-rated or in interview sessions. The total of 1417 answers were analysed. As was expected, a very low satisfaction on both scales was found, compared to the results that were reported in countries, such as Australia or Hong Kong. Comparisons on the demographic characteristics basis show that women are significantly more satisfied than men with their personal lives, though no differences were found with regard to NWI. Eldest and youngest age groups rated the PWI significantly higher than other age groups. Education groups comparisons showed higher ratings on both subscales in favour of groups with no education and those with university levels. Marginal statistically significant differences were found with regard to the PWI in favour of the higher earning group, but no differences in the NWI. No statistically significant results were found as far as marital status, number of children, and income are concerned. The results add to the evidence of the usefulness of the scale to predict satisfaction of people with their own lives and life in their country. Its psychometric performance was proved to be very high in terms of validity, reliability and sensitivity. The results were interpreted on the light of the Homeostasis Theory and the particular situation of the Algerian society.
    AU - Tiliouine, Habib
    AU - Cummins, Robert A.
    AU - Davern, Melanie
    L1 - internal-pdf://Tilouine2006-0274971394/Tilouine2006.pdf
    M1 - 1
    PY - 2006
    SN - 03038300
    SP - 1-30
    ST - Measuring wellbeing in developing countries: The case of Algeria
    T2 - Social Indicators Research
    TI - Measuring wellbeing in developing countries: The case of Algeria
    UR - http://www.jstor.org/stable/27522524
    VL - 75
    ID - 162
    ER -


    TY - ENCYC
    A2 - Southerton, Dale
    AU - Tari, Berna
    CY - Thousand Oaks, CA
    L1 - internal-pdf://Tari2011-0329384962/Tari2011.pdf
    PB - Sage
    PY - 2011
    SP - 462-64
    ST - Discourse analysis
    T2 - Encyclopedia of Consumer Culture
    TI - Discourse analysis
    ID - 111
    ER -


    TY - JOUR
    AB - The article provides author's view on the analytic challenges of studying the Middle East and its evolving media environment. It states that the changing objects of the study is one of the challenges that Media and Cultural Studies face. Furthermore, the author discusses the political, communication, and cultural studies of the region as the three dominant approaches in Media Studies. Moreover, she argues that the there are three ways of framing different sets of issues such as the nation, region, and transnationality. The author suggests that the awareness of the real historical and contingent differences and political economies that exist is the best way to describe the processes of political change and democratization in the Middle East.
    AN - 33342096
    AU - Sreberny, Annabelle
    DB - ufh
    DO - 10.1163/187398608x317388
    DP - EBSCOhost
    KW - MASS media & culture
    POLITICAL science
    MASS media influence
    MEDIA studies
    CULTURE
    POLITICAL change
    DEMOCRATIZATION
    MIDDLE East -- Politics & government
    MIDDLE East
    Cultural Studies
    MEDIA
    Political Communication
    Political Economy
    L1 - internal-pdf://Srebeny2008-0447354881/Srebeny2008.pdf
    M1 - 1
    M3 - Article
    N1 - Sreberny, Annabelle 1; Email Address: as98@soas.ac.uk; Affiliations: 1: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK; Issue Info: Jan2008, Vol. 1 Issue 1, p8; Thesaurus Term: MASS media & culture; Thesaurus Term: POLITICAL science; Thesaurus Term: MASS media influence; Thesaurus Term: MEDIA studies; Thesaurus Term: CULTURE; Subject Term: POLITICAL change; Subject Term: DEMOCRATIZATION; Subject Term: MIDDLE East -- Politics & government; Subject: MIDDLE East; Author-Supplied Keyword: Cultural Studies; Author-Supplied Keyword: MEDIA; Author-Supplied Keyword: MIDDLE EAST; Author-Supplied Keyword: Political Communication; Author-Supplied Keyword: Political Economy; Number of Pages: 16p; Document Type: Article
    PY - 2008
    SN - 18739857
    SP - 8-23
    ST - The Analytic Challenges of Studying the Middle East and its Evolving Media Environment
    T2 - Middle East Journal of Culture & Communication
    TI - The Analytic Challenges of Studying the Middle East and its Evolving Media Environment
    UR - http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=33342096&site=ehost-live
    VL - 1
    ID - 76
    ER -
  • I got a hold of X6 RIS export. It looks like there is only a problem when importing items with multiple attachments. Single attachments work fine for me.

    The issue with multiple attachments has been reported previously and a fix is awaiting approval: https://github.com/zotero/translators/pull/562
    My tests show that multiple items import correctly with that patch.
  • That file is prior to editing for import. Do you want me to post the edited file that worked for import?
  • Using your RIS file above (I named it test.ris), I recreated the EndNote data directory structure (should be in My Documents, for example test.data). Here's what it should look like:

    test.data
    │ # test.ris

    └───PDF
    ├───Srebeny2008-0447354881
    │ # Srebeny2008.pdf

    ├───Tari2011-0329384962
    │ # Tari2011.pdf

    ├───Tilouine2006-0274971394
    │ # Tilouine2006.pdf

    ├───Zaboot-1194810626
    │ # Zaboot.pdf

    └───Zayani2008-1756058881
    # Zayani2008.pdf

    (files are marked by #)

    Given that folder structure, and placing the test.ris file inside test.data directory, next to PDF directory, I was able to import all items with attachments in both Zotero Firefox and Standalone 4.0.3.

    If this is not working for you, see Step 5 here: http://www.zotero.org/support/troubleshooting_translator_issues

    Also, verify that the directory structure is correct (though if you say that doing find and replace worked, I assume that it is)
  • Thanks as usual for the quick response. I updated the translators per Step 5 above but I don't think that was the problem, and I checked both libraries I've been trying to import and neither had multiple pdf or other kinds of attachments.

    My .ris (.txt) files were NOT inside the .data directory but rather in the same directory as the .enl file, but exporting the .ris/.txt file to that directo does not seem to make a difference in Standalone.

    Did you do the find/replace of the internal-pdf// or use EN's defaults?

    I tried both strategies with Standalone, and still end up hanging for hours and can't get debug output.
  • Did you do the find/replace of the internal-pdf// or use EN's defaults?
    I used the RIS entries exactly as you posted above.
    I tried both strategies with Standalone, and still end up hanging for hours and can't get debug output.
    I was only checking that the attachments are imported. I will run a larger RIS import with Standalone to see if I can reproduce the hang. I was not able to reproduce it with Firefox.

    In the mean time, you can try to get some debug output for the hang by following directions here: http://www.zotero.org/support/debug_output#real-time_debug_output
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