Sync styles

m_bader
I wanted to inquire about the feasibility of syncing one's styles along with one's Zotero library. I ran into a problem trying to work with a document that used a citation style that I had modified to fit the particulars of a journal's style. When I tried to edit the citations, I received the dreaded "cannot communicate with Zotero" error. Unfortunately, the style file was on a computer that I could not access and I submitted to the journal with minor issues in the citations (a semi-colon delimiter rather than a comma, it was really nothing major).

I am loving Zotero and evangelize to my colleagues about its incredible capabilities and is, by far, the best citation management software that I have found. With the ability to sync, it has the "complete package." However, the pain of having to manually move citation styles is a major drawback for the ability to use Zotero in multiple locations.

Thank you all for your hard work!
  • noksagt
    http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/6497/
  • bdarcus
    I ran into a problem trying to work with a document that used a citation style that I had modified to fit the particulars of a journal's style.
    Don't do this.

    If you need changes to a style, create a new one (with a new id), and submit it to the Zotero repository. Then, install the style on each computer using the install link.
  • m_bader
    @noksagt Thanks for the link -- I couldn't find it. I searched, I promise.

    @bdarcus:
    I'm happy to submit the styles to the repository, but I have two questions to follow up on that. First, the styles are already there, I just think that they are incorrect. I'm happy to help update them to how I read the journal instructions to mandate the style, but I don't know how.

    Second, why not have a local style that I use and not submit to the repository? The <a href='http://www.zotero.org/support/dev/creating_citation_styles'>citation styles page</a> says to submit "[i]f your custom style has general appeal..." What if it doesn't have general appeal, is the only way to set this up properly to upload it to a url and change the <link> tag?
  • m_bader
    sorry, i forgot to click on "format comment as Html."
  • noksagt
    edited June 2, 2009
    First, the styles are already there, I just think that they are incorrect. I'm happy to help update them to how I read the journal instructions to mandate the style, but I don't know how.
    Updates are made the same way new submissions are made. If there is any controversy about your change, you might make a post to collect comment & contact the original style authors/contributors (if they left contact info in the style).
    Second, why not have a local style that I use and not submit to the repository? ... What if it doesn't have general appeal, is the only way to set this up properly to upload it to a url and change the tag?
    That isn't the only way, but it is still a good way. Customized styles should be kept track of the same way you keep track of any other supplemental information for your manuscript. Eventually, it might be nice to be able to embed them in certain documents. Otherwise, I don't see the hardship of copying it with your document & this is certainly how must other software solves this issue.

    I'm not completely opposed to syncing custom styles, but there are good third-party ways to do this now & it isn't high priority & I'd want to be able to disable style syncing.
  • m_bader
    @noksagt - thank you so much for your responses, I really appreciate it. when you say
    Otherwise, I don't see the hardship of copying it with your document & this is certainly how must other software solves this issue.

    I'm not completely opposed to syncing custom styles, but there are good third-party ways to do this now & it isn't high priority & I'd want to be able to disable style syncing.
    I'm not sure what you mean by "good third party" software and whether I can somehow link/embed the csl data with my document.
  • noksagt
    There is no easy way (yet) for you to embed it. Eventually, the word processor plugins might take care of this for you.

    By "third party software" for syncing, I refer to copy/rsync/unison/etc. that may be used for general purpose syncing.
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