Zotero doesn't recognize old Zotero-references

bpreusche
Hi,
when I go to 'insert citation' in an 'old' docx-file with existing zotero-references, the window pops up, but it does not recognize the citations before [...]" ! I can choose another style, yes (because of choosing "store-refrences-in-document"-option - i think?!), but if I update/change somethings of the data in the zotero library it doesn't change anything in the citation-field of the file.

Might it depend on the "Store references in document" - option ? Another document without choosing this option works fine.

The solutions of "Debugging broken documents" (http://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_troubleshooting) had no effect.

The Report-ID is: 1726120263 (but I don't know whether this belongs to my described error; in fact there occurs no error!)
  • adamsmith
    edited September 18, 2013
    Sounds like your database became disconnected from the document - e.g. by exporting/importing items or so. In that case Zotero falls back to the data stored in the document.
    You can test this yourself, if you'd like.
    Use alt+f9 in the word document and copy the field code for an item that hasn't update. Towards the beginning of the field you'd see the item URI, something like "uris":["http://zotero.org/users/234272/items/BCWPT28V"]
    Compare that to the version of the item in your Zotero library online. You can also get item URIs for items from your client following the instructions here: http://zoteromusings.wordpress.com/2013/04/23/zotero-item-uris-from-client/
    I'd expect the one in the document and the one online to be different.

    (edit: if you have a very old document, it may have an item key instead of a URI - that should just be the last part of the URI)
  • bpreusche
    You are right - the uris in the old document are diffrent from the uris in a new document (which is updated):

    http://zotero.org/users/local/Nm0K1aK8/items/T772GW5U

    http://zotero.org/users/234272/items/TRQIAJ2B

    Means that, I've destroyed the zotero-database (the allocation) when I exported/imported data ??
  • adamsmith
    If you export and item and re-import it, Zotero assigns it a different ID/URI. It looks like that's what happened here. (This isn't the only way this could have happened, just the most likely one).

    Unfortunately, I don't think there's an alternative to deleting and re-inserting any reference that you still need to update.
  • aurimas
    edited September 19, 2013
    Technically speaking, there is an alternative. You can replace the old URI with a new URI. You need to replace the one that looks like
    "uri":["http://zotero.org/users/*****/items/****"](i.e. the one that says "uri", not "uris"). Then turn off field codes and click Zotero Refresh button.

    Whether it is easier to delete the reference and re-insert it, probably depends on how many times a reference is used. If you're using a reference a lot in the document, a simple search and replace could really speed up the process.

    At some point, Zotero should probably add a function to re-attach disconnected references.
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