Zotero chrome: save without snapshot?

mlinchits
edited May 6, 2017
Can you implement an option to save webpage WITHOUT a snapshot?

I usually print to PDF anyway if I really need to save the page (which is about half the time)
  • LiborA
    This functionality is implemented. See Option of Zotero (table General) and Option of Connector.
    Note: I use 5.0 and maybe it is different in the 4.x version
  • mlinchits
    In Zotero standalone /Preferences/General, I unchecked the checkbox "Automaitally take snapshots", but that does not change the behavior of the chrome connector, which runs its own code.

    In the Chrome Connector/Options/General/Save via Sever, there is an option "Automatically take snapshots when saving items". However, I this does not apply to items save locally.

    So the functionality is not implemented.
  • adamsmith
    As per above, it's available in the current 5.0 beta connector for Firefox and the forthcoming 5.0 version for Chrome, due out soon. It is indeed not available for the connectors in 4.0.
  • mlinchits
    Actually, it does work now works by changing the genral option in zotero standalone preferences. I'm satisfied with this behavior for now. Would be good to get the option in the chrome connector, with a dedicated keyboard shortcut.

    thanks
  • docja
    It does not work for me with Firefox 54.0.1 and the newest (today's) version of Zotero and the Firefox connector. There is an option to save without a snapshot if you right-click on the toolbar icon, but unchecking the "Automatically take snapshots..." item in the Standalone 5.0.4 Options menu has no effect: the default when you click the toolbar icon is to save with a snapshot.
  • carriesnyder
    I am having a similar problem with the Chrome connector - no matter what I choose in the extension preferences (or in standalone Zotero), it continues to take snapshots.
  • adomasven
    Just to clarify, this certainly works properly with Zotero 5.0.4. If you uncheck "Automatically take snapshots" in Zotero > Preferences > General, saves with the connector will not take snapshots.
  • docja
    @adomasven, I'm afraid in my hands what you say is not true: Unchecking the "Automatically take snapshots" does not work, because I have it unchecked, yet I just saved a web page to Zotero 5.0.4 from Chrome 59.0.3071.115 (the current build) and it saved a snapshot. Sometimes it will save a page as "Embedded Metadata" without a snapshot, but the default web page save is with a snapshot even though that option is unchecked. You can easily delete the snapshot if you don't want it, but it would be better if unchecking the option actually worked.
  • LiborA
    edited July 20, 2017
    Unfortunately, item "take a snapshot" is in Standalone preferences and in Connector preferences too. You have to uncheck this in both and then the snapshot is not saved.
  • docja
    @LiborA, there is no such setting in my Chrome Connector preferences. Maybe it is because I am not using the Zotero servers?
  • LiborA
    edited July 20, 2017
    No, if you have Zotero Connector installed then there are preferences of this.
    EDIT: What version of connector do you use? I have 5.0.10.
    EDIT2: try chrome-extension://ekhagklcjbdpajgpjgmbionohlpdbjgc/preferences/preferences.html

    EDIT3: Sorry, adamsmith knows a more accurate answer.
  • adamsmith
    Yeah, the pref in the connector is indeed only for saving to server.

    This works reliably for me as described by Adomas in both Chrome and Firefox. Which operating system?
    Can you provide a debug ID from both the Chrome connector and Zotero for saving a webpage that does save a snapshot (with the snapshot preferences unchecked, obviously)?
    https://www.zotero.org/support/debug_output
  • adamsmith
    @LiborA no, you're mistaken on this. The preference in the connector only appears after you authorize the connector to save to zotero.org
  • docja
    @adamsmith I'll see if I have time to do this at some point. I am using Windows 10 Creators Update. I am NOT, however, using zotero.org to save my references, so I don't think there's really any reason to do it if it only works when you use zotero.org.
  • adamsmith
    no, sorry, you got confused there:
    This does work with just the preference in Zotero unchecked and without ever authorizing the connector to save to the server. I tested this on Windows 10 with both Chrome and Firefox.
  • docja
    @adamsmith OK, I did it. The Zotero Standalone debug ID is D685135894
    and the one from the Chrome Connector is D1565882619.
  • dstillman
    @adamsmith: Are you sure you're trying a regular webpage and not Embedded Metadata? Looks to me like this works exactly like @docja says — translator-based saves are following the pref but webpage saves aren't.

    If I go to the Zotero homepage (no translator) from Zotero Connector 5.0.10 for Chrome with Zotero 5.0.5 open, the tooltip says "with snapshot" and I get a snapshot regardless of the pref.

    This seems expected based on a quick look at the code — webpage saves in the client get the snapshot pref flag from the connector, but the client never passes the pref to the connector, so regular clicks on the button are always snapshot saves and only the context-menu option sets the flag to false.
  • adamsmith
    argh, sorry -- it doesn't show the snapshot in the "Saving..." pop-up and it takes a moment to show up, so I missed it. My apologies for the waste of time, docja.
  • dstillman
    OK, thanks. We'll fix this.
  • docja
    @adamsmith It's ok. It didn't take too long, and now it's going to be fixed.
  • dstillman
    This should be fixed in Zotero 5.0.7 and Zotero Connector 5.0.11, both now available.
  • ben.hjorth
    Hey all, I think this is related and can't find another forum thread that addresses it directly: I'm having an issue with saves from Amazon - I've succeeded in turning the automatic "snapshot" save off, but can't seem to stop Zotero from adding an "Amazon Link" as a child item. Same goes for Google Books now that I think of it. Is there a way of disabling this option? And is there a reason these URLs aren't added to the item itself (i.e. in the URL field) rather than appended as a child item? I'm sure there is and I'm just daft.

    Finally, @dstillman, I'm confused by your reference to Zotero 5.0.7 and Connector 5.0.11 - according to my system (macOS running High Sierra 10.13.13), I have the latest versions of both, which are 5.0.49[-beta.4+8547dedca] and 5.0.40, respectively. Can you clarify? I know some time has elapsed since your last post, but version numbers don't go backwards do they?

    thanks all
  • adamsmith
    you're reading the version numbers incorrectly: 49 is larger than 7.

    You can't disable the links without modifying the translators, sorry (FWIW, they don't take up any space).
  • dstillman
    And those URLs aren't saved in the URL field because they're not the canonical sources for the items (unlike, say, the URL of a NYT article).
  • bwiernik
    To expand on Dan's comment--

    The URL field is what you would include in a citation of the item (e.g., the URL of an online newspaper article). URLs that do not lead to the full text of the item should not be included in the URL field.
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