Automatic 'Rename file from parent metadata' option?

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  • Thanks a lot Adam!

    Saludos.

    Daniel.
  • Hi,

    can anyone please tell me if it is possible to "rename file using parent metadata" in the windows version of zotero standalone? If yes, how can I go about using it? currently, when I right click on the pdf, the above-cited renaming option does not appear. I have installed zotfile as well but still I cannot see the renaming option.

    please help!
  • The option should be there. But make sure the PDF has a parent item.
  • hi Gracile,

    thanks for the response.
    I'm not sure what is meant by 'parent item' :(

    When I drag and drop a pdf in zotero standalone, I have to do the following steps:
    1. right click and select "retrieve metadata from PDF" - this creates a separate row above the pdf (that is, the pdf is nested within this row) and the row consists of the name of the journal/book/report in which the pdf is published.
    2. right click and select "rename file from parent metadata" - this renames the pdf in the author-year-title format, which I prefer.

    Also, only after doing the above steps, I can extract any annotation from the pdf files.

    The entire process is very cumbersome especially as I have to organise a vast amount of literature. The question is:

    1) is there an easier way to rename the pdf files from parent meta data? if not, is there a way to get rid of the extra row created above the actual pdf (as explained above in point 1) without losing the PDF? Right now, I have to open the row to get to the pdf and going through 100s of pdfs in this way is extremely tedious.

    2) is there any other, easier/faster way to extract annotation from the pdf than what I am following (as explained above)?

    Thank you for your patience. I'm very new to zotero and unfortunately, my university does not provide any support in helping us get around reference management software. Hence, I'm relying on this forum to find solutions.


  • See my response in your other thread:
    https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/64342/unable-to-extract-annotations-despite-adding-zotfile-for-zotero-standalone-windows#latest

    Zotero is designed to be used with the actual bibliographic data items (what you call the "extra row"), not raw attachment files. Almost none of the features of Zotero work with just standalone PDFs (items also don't need attachments--you can store just the journal article citation information, tags, notes, etc. wittgout a PDF).

    When you attach a PDF to an item, you aren't "losing the PDF", you are allowing it to function with the majority of Zotero's features. You can select large batches of PDFs and choose to Retrieve Metadata on many of them at one time, same with Rename from Metadata (or Zotfile's Rename attachments feature).

    You don't have expand the Zotero item to get to the PDF. Double clicking on the Zotero item will open an attachment if it exists or open the item website if the item data has a link, URL, or DOI.

    Again, see my response in your other thread. Your current workflow is not using Zotero as intended for importing items, managing files, or storing and using bibliographic data and is making a lot more work for you.
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