More notifications needed...

compunk
edited October 28, 2017
I love Zotero very much.

However I think Zotero needs more notifications which let people know situations.

For example, today I attached pdf file and tried to rename using [rename file from parent metadata] but failed, that is, nothing happened without notification. Embarrassed I tried many things, but after some while I came to know that I already have a file with the same name in the folder.

In situations like this, if Zotero gives more information by notification, it will be helpful for many Zotero users.

I have already written a suggestion concerning this:
https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/65367/zotero-5-beta-suggestion-notification-for-notes-displacement#latest

Thanks.
  • dstillman
    We of course handle errors we're aware of. If something's not working, we need a Report ID.
    Embarrassed I tried many things, but after some while I came to know that I already have a file with the same name in the folder.
    Meaning this is a linked file? If that's what you mean, we should just give the file a unique name, not display a notification.
  • compunk
    No. This is not a linked file. I just made duplicate item without knowing it and tried to attach a file and rename it using parent metadata.

    It's not a bug.

    What I want is that Zotero would have more notification messages to let users know the results of processes. For example in the case like this, it would be "There is a file with the same name. Use another name." in message window.

    Thanks.
  • dstillman
    edited November 1, 2017
    I just made duplicate item without knowing it and tried to attach a file and rename it using parent metadata.
    I still don't know what you mean by this. Your original post said something failed. What failed, exactly?

    You said you "already have a file with the same name in the folder". What folder, if this isn't a linked file? Attached PDFs go into their own folders, so there can't be other files present.

    There's no reason that Rename File from Parent Metadata shouldn't work, so if it didn't, that's a bug.

    Can you provide Steps to Reproduce the thing that you're describing?
  • compunk
    I said "This is not a linked file", but it was wrong.
    It is a linked file, sorry.

    It is a detailed situation.

    -------------------------------------

    These are my ordinary processes:

    - Make an item. (e.g. The Greek Rhetoric, Jones, 2017)
    - Put related pdf file into the folder used as [Base directory]. That is, I usually collect all the attached files into my Base directory.
    (e.g. "Rh.pdf" into "zotero-data-attachment", my base directory)
    - Link the file to the item. (e.g. Rh.pdf/zotero-data-attachment is linked to The Greek Rhetoric item)
    - Rename the file (e.g. Rh.pdf is converted to "Jones - 2017 - The Greek Rhetoric.pdf")
    - As a result there is "Jones - 2007 - The Greek Rhetoric.pdf" in zotero-data-attachment folder.

    After some while, I forgot I added "The Greek Rhetoric".

    - I add the same book. (e.g. The Greek Rhetoric, Jones, 2017)
    - I put related pdf file into Base directory. This time the file name is, for example, GR.pdf
    - As usual I link the file in the base directory to the item.
    - And... I try to rename it. AT THIS MOMENT, the file name doesn't change and nothing happened without any notification. In fact the reason I can't rename it is that there is a file with the same name.

    In the case like this, it's helpful for users to know there is a file with the same name through a notification, I think.

    Thanks.
  • adamsmith
    Yes, that's what Dan thought was happening and I agree -- the right way to handle that is to just add some suffix (like (1)) to the filename just like, e.g., operating systems do in a comparable situation.
  • dstillman
    This is fixed for 5.0.25 (and 5.0.25-beta.2 when that comes out) — it'll append a numeric suffix if a file with the target name exists.
  • compunk
    Thanks a lot.
  • compunk
    I have tested it on [5.0.25-beta.2+c40e321c4] right now.

    It works perfectly. Thanks.
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