custom v profile directory

In preferences/advanced, if I have the 'custom' radio button filled, and click the 'use profile directory' button, a box pops up warning about moving my files to the new directory and restarting. But when I restart, the data directory location is still shown with the 'custom' radio button filled and my profile directory listed in the field, rather than having the 'use profile directory' button filled. This indication suggests that my custom directory is not my profile directory, and that mistaken impression is enforced by the message about moving my files and restarting. It is potentially very confusing for the user who thinks that their change to 'use profile directory' setting is being lost.

Is this intended behavior? If not, can it be changed so when the user is using the profile directory, that radio button is filled?

Thanks!
  • Do you have both Standalone and Zotero for Firefox installed?
  • edited May 6, 2014
    Yes. I was making the changes in Standalone.
  • I think that's what's going on - the "custom" button is checked because it's pointing to the other profile directory.
  • Is this something that can be added to a 'to fix' list? It is actually quite confusing.
  • when I restart, the data directory location is still shown with the 'custom' radio button filled
    I cannot reproduce this. I see that the old data directory path is shown under Custom, but "Use profile directory" button is selected and Custom is grayed out.

    What OS, Zotero version are you using?
  • Windows 7 x64
    Firefox 29
    Zotero add-on 4.0.20.2
    Zotero Standalone 4.0.20
  • Does Zotero actually change the data directory? (if you didn't move/copy the data to the profile directory, your library would probably be empty)

    Is this reproducible? If you try switching it to profile directory again, does it never select "Use profile directory"?

    Do you have Firefox open while doing this? (can't imagine why this would matter though)
  • When I did this, standalone was actually using my Firefox Zotero directory, although I didn't realize it. I clicked 'browse' and selected my Firefox profile directory. Then I restarted standalone. When I checked the preferences, the 'custom' radio button was still selected. I did it again and the same thing happened. Then I posted here.

    I do have firefox open while doing this.
  • edited May 6, 2014
    I clicked 'browse' and selected my Firefox profile directory. Then I restarted standalone.
    Previously you said that
    if I have the 'custom' radio button filled, and click the 'use profile directory' button
    Firefox profile directory is not the same as Zotero Standalone profile directory
  • > Firefox profile directory is not the same as Zotero Standalone profile directory

    Yes, I understand that now, but this is very unclear since clicking on the Zotero button in firefox automatically takes you to standalone, and the two use the exact same interface. This implies that they mean the same profile by "use profile directory".

    An easy improvement would be to clarify by changing the UI so it said either "Use Zotero Firefox profile directory" or "Use Zotero Standalone profile directory", depending on which you were using.

    Functionally, I think the real question is whether you want Firefox Zotero to use the same or a different directory then Standalone. Perhaps the choice is better offered in that manner: "same data directory as Firefox Zotero" or "custom data directory"

    So I suppose that's my 2-part suggestion for a future fix/change.
  • Can you explain what exactly you are trying to do? I can't think of a scenario where you would consider Firefox profile directory as the default profile directory for Zotero Standalone.
  • And to be clear (which, I understand, is not clear to the end user) profile directory is not the same as data directory. You can change the location of your data directory, but your profile directory always stays the same.

    This is a somewhat important distinction, since your profile directory is where the settings reside. So even if Zotero Standalone and Firefox share the same data directory, they will have distinct settings, since the profile directories are not shared.
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