Large size of Web page snapshots?

I just have two Web page snapshots as I'm just getting started and I see that my zotero.sqlite file is already 2.4 MB. Before this, I was saving snapshots of Amazon book listings, and when I went to check the files uploaded to Dropbox, there were all these image files being saved that had nothing to do with the book.

My reaction was to create a PDF of the page using PDF Creator in Firefox, save it on my HD, then add it as a document to Zotero, attaching the PDF by adding a link to the file. I realize that this way I can't use the highlighting or annotating feature of Z.

Or I could Create a New Item From Current Page, and then delete the snapshot. Both of these are cumbersome. How do people manage the size of their Zotero database. How stable is Zotero once you've built a collection that's gigabytes in size? Has this been tested?

Also, why is a zotero.sqlite.bak file appearing? If it's in the same folder, it's not much of a backup.
  • I just have two Web page snapshots as I'm just getting started and I see that my zotero.sqlite file is already 2.4 MB.
    Snapshots are not stored in the database. They increase the size of zotero.sqlite a minuscule amount. I have ca. 750 references in my day-to-day database (ca. 2/3 of which have both web snapshots and PDFs) & my zotero.sqlite file is 4.2M. My entire zotero directory is ca. 750 MB.
    Or I could Create a New Item From Current Page, and then delete the snapshot.
    If you are concerned about space, disable automatic snapshots. But why be concerned about space? It is cheap these days.
    How stable is Zotero once you've built a collection that's gigabytes in size? Has this been tested?
    A storage directory of gigabytes is fine (I have other databases that size): most space is taken up by attachments & it is inconsequential for daily operation. It'd take a real feat to make the sqlite file balloon that big. For large databases, performance may slow a bit (especially with full text indexing of attachments, etc.). But you can tweak things to manage huge databases better & people have certainly reported very large databases.
    Also, why is a zotero.sqlite.bak file appearing? If it's in the same folder, it's not much of a backup.
    Sure it is. If you catch them in time, you can turn back accidental changes to your database. Database corruption can occasionally happen & having a second, working copy is insurance against it. You should still store your own backup on another drive, of course.
  • Thanks noksagt.

    The only other thing I would have against the snapshots is that if I want to share an annotated reference with someone else, they wouldn't be able to open the .rdf file unless they have Zotero(?). Also, if I decide to stop using Zotero, I still have PDFs of my articles.

    And, if I want to write an extended note in Microsoft Word, I can attach it to my Zotero entry. Again, publishing this note so that others can read it would be simpler.

    I guess my first impression of the usefulness of Z is its ability to organize and bind Web links to the files on my HD. Generating a bibliography is also a good feature. In a way, it's what Firefox bookmarks should be doing.

    From a test I just did, when you print out a snapshot or convert it into a PDF, both the highlighting and annotations disappear. This is disappointing, unless there's some feature I don't know about. This software seems geared toward generating material that you alone can read, and not suited to a collaborative effort.

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