Report ID:1761828514 - Cannot add PDF files

jenning4
PDF files cannot be added on neither Chrome nor Safari on my Mac. The PDF sign is not shown next to the link as usual. I didn't have this problem when I used pc instead of Mac. And I always saw the sign and added successfully using PC.

The error message on Chrome as below:
[JavaScript Error: "Cannot read property 'apply' of undefined" {file: "chrome-extension://ekhagklcjbdpajgpjgmbionohlpdbjgc/messaging_inject.js" line: 78}]

Please help! Many thanks.
  • aurimas
    How exactly are you trying to add the PDF? Is this on zotero.org?
    The PDF sign is not shown next to the link as usual
    I'm not really sure what PDF sign or link you're referring to.
  • jenning4
    I found that I can add PDFs from database but not PDFs I find on other websites.

    I was referring to the little icon I'm supposed to click on in order to add the file.
  • aurimas
    Can you provide sample URLs? E.g. can you import item with PDF from http://www.nature.com/psp/journal/v3/n11/abs/psp201447a.html ?

    Not all pages will have the URL bar icon, because not all pages supply metadata that Zotero can import. Similarly, not all pages that provide metadata for Zotero to import will also supply the PDF.
  • jenning4
    edited December 20, 2014
    I found two URLs as examples:

    http://qunpdf.stepsforwardny.com/the-feminine-mystique-betty-friedan-80946399.pdf

    chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/http://ls.poly.edu/~jbain/socphil/texts/05a.Friedan.pdf

    The first one is from Safari, and the second one is from Chrome. I believe that there's something wrong, but I just don't know what that is. Because I have never encountered this kind of problem on pc before.
  • adamsmith
    those are direct links to PDFs -- I'm a little confused what you expect to happen for those?
    The only way to get them into Zotero from Chrome/Safari is to either drag the URL to Zotero standalone or save the file to your harddisk and then drag it to Zotero.
  • jenning4
    I expect to see the PDF icon (next to the search bar) which I used to click to save PDF files.
  • adamsmith
    there has never been a "PDF icon" displayed by Zotero to save PDF files.

    If you mean the URL bar icon -- the changing icon depending on the nature of the resource displayed in the address bar for Firefox and Chrome and to its left for Safari as shown here: https://www.zotero.org/support/getting_stuff_into_your_library#web_translators --that icon has never appeared when you view a PDF in your browser. It appears when you're looking at a resource like a library catalog or the abstract page of an article (when the page is supported by Zotero). Do you see that icon, e.g. on the page aurimas links to above?

    If this used to work on a PC, either this was entirely different software, you're misremembering something, or we're unable to follow your description of what used to work.
    Best idea I have is for you to describe in a lot more detail what you think should be happening.
  • aurimas
    I think some pdf viewers (maybe the built-in one in Chrome, or maybe it was Adobe) display - our used to at least - a PDF icon in the url bar where Zotero icon would be that you could click to save the file. In any case, We can't help you figure out where it disappeared, since it's not actually related to Zotero.
  • jenning4
    edited December 22, 2014
    I tried again to drag the URLs link above to Standalone, but nothing happened. They cannot be added to Standalone.

    I do not see the icon either. I will look at my PC again to confirm what is missing once I can.
  • aurimas
    Here's what you should be doing and what should be happening http://youtu.be/pn0mctnJdRw
  • jenning4
    I did exactly what you did in the video, but still nothing happened. Would it be because of the setting?
  • adamsmith
    But are you saying above that you're also not seeing the URL bar icon, say on http://www.worldcat.org/title/wealth-of-nations-books-i-iii/oclc/8424650&referer=brief_results
    The two -- dragging PDFs and the URL bar icon -- aren't directly related, but it's at least possible there is a connection if both aren't working.
  • aurimas
    Also, can you provide a debug ID from Zotero Standalone for doing what's shown in the video (once)? https://www.zotero.org/support/debug_output
  • jenning4
    There's no issues adding http://www.worldcat.org/title/wealth-of-nations-books-i-iii/oclc/8424650&referer=brief_results

    The problem seems to only appear when it comes to PDFs.

    Chrome Debug ID: D2027172838.

    Do I need to do the same on Safari and provide the ID too?
  • dstillman
    That's from Chrome. We need the debug output from Standalone.
  • jenning4
    edited December 24, 2014
    -
  • aurimas
    No, please follow the instructions here: https://www.zotero.org/support/debug_output (at the top)
  • jenning4
    edited December 24, 2014
    The Debug ID from Standalone is D1966695453.
  • jenning4
    I performed the action on Chrome. Do I need to do it on Safari as well?
  • aurimas
    no, Chrome is fine, but what URL did you drag from?
  • dstillman
    [JavaScript Error: "NS_ERROR_UNKNOWN_PROTOCOL: " {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/http.js" line: 375}]

    (3)(+0000000): HTTP HEAD chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/http://qunpdf.stepsforwardny.com/the-feminine-mystique-betty-friedan-80946399.pdf
  • aurimas
    So where exactly did you drag from? Can you take a screenshot and post it to Dropbox, Imgur, or something similar then link to it here?
  • aurimas
    edited December 24, 2014
    OK, I see. You're using PDF.js viewer extension to view PDFs in Chrome, which unfortunately currently displays chrome-extension URLs in the URL bar and Zotero doesn't know what to do with them (they're internal to Chrome). There's nothing they can do to fix this atm due to an outstanding bug in Chrome and I don't see any other similar solution. Your choices are to download the PDF using the download button in the PDF.js extension (top right corner) and then drag-drop the file into Zotero or use Chrome's built-in PDF viewer instead, which will display correct URLs.

    Zotero perhaps should allow attaching files via URL (by downloading, not just linking to them) for accessibility. Not sure what would be a good way to implement that without increased burden on the UX.
  • jenning4
    I dragged this URL:

    http://qunpdf.stepsforwardny.com/the-feminine-mystique-betty-friedan-80946399.pdf
  • jenning4
    What is Chrome's built-in PDF viewer? Did you mean disable the PDF viewer extension?

    Also, does that mean it should be fine if I use Safari to drag PDF?
  • aurimas
    What is Chrome's built-in PDF viewer? Did you mean disable the PDF viewer extension?
    Yes, if you disable the PDF Viewer extension, Chrome will use the built-in PDF viewer, which is very similar (it's actually based on PDF.js)
    Also, does that mean it should be fine if I use Safari to drag PDF?
    Yes, unless there's a different issue with Safari
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