Libreoffice footnotes counted per page causes Zotero failure

When I switch from footnotes counted per document to footnotes counted per page in Libreoffice, the existing Zotero citations cannot be updated any longer. Inserting new citations is no longer possible. I receive the error message "Zotero experienced an error updating your document." The log file says: "Note index sequence is not sane for citation". Is this a known issue? Is there a way of safely switching to footnotes counted per page without damaging the citations?

When I switch back to footnotes counted per document, the Zotero citations usually get back to normal. Sometimes, in larger documents, the error persists.

Report ID: 1006150408
Zotero Version 5.0.69
Libreoffice 6.2.4.2 under Ubuntu 19.04
  • Yes, this is a known issue that's fixed in the latest Zotero beta. The fix will be included in Zotero 5.0.70 soon.
  • edited July 5, 2019
    @bknorn do you have footnote citations in tables?
  • No, there are no footnote citations in tables, @adomasven.
    I can replicate this problem in a very simple ODT document with three footnotes with one citation of the same title each (footnote 2 and 3: ibid.). The last footnote is on another page than the first ones. Then I switch to footnotes counted per page. Now Zotero cannot update the citations, and I get the error message.
  • Can you email that simple document to support@zotero.org with a link to this thread?
  • @bknorn Could you try the latest Zotero Beta?
  • Switching to footnotes counted per page is now working properly with Zotero 5.0.70-beta.6. However, it seems that there is a new problem now: The second citation of the same title (Ibid.) on the first page is not rendered as Ibid., but as full title again.
  • I am not seeing this in the document that you have sent us. It has 3 citations of the same item and only the very first one is a full citation.
  • I have sent you a second document which shows this issue. After further testing, it seems that the second citation is not being rendered as Ibid. only when I insert new citations into a new document. When I just update an existing document (like the first one I sent to you), it is o.k.
  • Someone better versed in citation styles can comment on whether this is correct for Chicago, but this is due to your first citation referencing page 35 and the second one referencing page 42.
  • This new behavior in the beta version (first and second citation full title, following citations short title or ibid.) is definitely not correct. It also happens without referencing pages, and it happens with all similar citation styles.
  • Ok, I am not seeing this with your document. Then one you sent has the citations wrong, but if you refresh the document the second citation then goes into short form. How did you generate this document? Are you sure you did not copy and paste these citations? Can you produce this from an empty document, and if so, what is the order of operations?
  • edited July 8, 2019
    I can reproduce this with a new, empty ODT document:
    1. Insert three footnotes with the same citation each (with Add/Edit button, not copy/paste, of course!). Chicago or similar full-note styles.
    Now in the first two footnotes there are full citations, from the third citation onwards there are short citations.
    2. Update citations (Edit or Refresh button) does not change anything.
    3. Save, close and re-open the document. Now after updating citations, the reference in the second footnote is a short citation (as it should be).
    4. Insert another second footnote with the same citation (Add/Edit button). Again this second citation is a full citation like in the first footnote.
    5. Save/Close/Re-open document, refresh citations: Second footnote will change to short format.
    Maybe a report ID from these operations could help: 1441978029
  • @bknorn: Are you still seeing this in Zotero 5.0.71?
  • No, I don't see this in Zotero 5.0.71. It seems to be o.k. now. Thank you!
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