Internet Explorer Zotero

ronnyherc
I have read in a presentation
"Simply put, it is not possible to do Zotero in Internet Explorer"

Can you explain why ?

Thanks.
  • arggem
    This is what the FAQ says:

    "Will I be able to use Zotero with Internet Explorer or some other browser?

    No. We cannot reproduce the functionality of Zotero in most other browsers because of the way other browsers work with extensions. It is possible to build Zotero on top of Firefox because as an open-source project all of the code and underlying technologies of Firefox are available to us. Zotero can sense and grab citations in the browser because it can call on many different parts of Firefox’s code. Microsoft (and many other browsers) don’t allow extension developers to call on more than a tiny fraction of their code. This explanation may be no solace for inveterate IE users, but we hope that IE users who like the functionality of Zotero will give Firefox a try."
  • bluezebracat
    One of the reasons why scholars, especially E. Asian specialists, are forced to work with Internet Explorer is because Firefox doesn't read Asian pages properly. (This is also why I have a Mac and a PC). A very important website would be: history.sillok.go.kr (where a major source-the premodern Korean veritable records are located) and while it loads (looks ok) in Firefox, you can't enter search terms in Firefox. Firefox is so much more stable and secure than IE, but for whatever reason, Firefox doesn't do that well with Asian language websites. Do others have a suggestion as to what to do about this? Or is there anyway we can tweak Firefox so we can make zotero a more powerful tool?
  • bdarcus
    Are you sure the problem is Firefox, and not the site(s) in question? I find it really hard to believe that IE is more compliant on these issues than Firefox.
  • noksagt
    WRT http://sillok.history.go.kr/, the problem is with the site; it uses an ActiveX control to make sure you can enter Korean text and there are undefined functions in the javascript used to submit the search form. I don't know how search results are returned; you might be able to perform the search in IE & paste the resulting URLs into Firefox. Or you might be able to perform searches through some third-party site/tool.
  • cryanking
    Have you tried IEtab? It's an extension for firefox that says "render this particular page using IE". There are mixed reports of zotero being able to work using it.
  • grnemo
    Could IE8 new easy-addon-development philosophy could initiate a task force for Zotero port?
  • bdarcus
    Ask MS.
  • grnemo
    Nah, it's a responsibility of Zotero team to explore possibilities (and feasibility :) ). I was just making a recommendation ;)
  • bdarcus
    edited April 16, 2009
    No; it's not their "responsibility."

    This is an open source project based on open standards and protocols, so there's no reason anyone couldn't do it (save technical limitations in IE).

    I can't speak for the Zotero team, but I'd find it extremely unlikely they'd have any interest in leading such an effort themselves, given that it's quite enough work already to keep up with one code base and user community.

    I also am extremely doubtful that IE 8 has anything like the extensibility of Firefox.
  • noksagt
    IE8 is better with add-ons than previous versions, but it is not as easily or fully extensible as Firefox & the answer to the FAQ is still applicable. There are fewer & less-well documented APIs, you are mostly tied to .net or similar if you ant to do anything slightly complex. IE8 lacks many of the same requirements to allow an application such as zotero that Dan enumerated re. Opera+gears:
    http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/5985
  • CB
    edited April 16, 2009
    Perhaps the zotero guys can reduce liability to being hostages to fortune by a bit of bluntness here. Zotero is a Firefox add-on. Developing a free Firefox add-on does not thereby commit anyone to also producing free dishwashers, perpetual motion machines, or IE add-ons. Isn't that the whole story?
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