Zoteor add-on in FF, how to specify which collection to save the page to

vsb1357
Hi
I am using Zotero 4.0.29.15 on Firefox 49.0, OS is Linux Mint 17.1. When I want to save a page to Zotero, I cannot see any options to save the page to a collection I want to specify. It always by default saves to the last used collection. I have looked up and down different menus but could not find anywhere to change that, which is still hard to believe for me.
Be grateful if somebody tells me if there is such an option, and if yes, how can I activate it.
  • dragonfly
    edited October 21, 2016
    I must agree. I cannot find any method in Zotero stand alone to choose the target collection (or sub-collection) to save an item from the browser.
    The saving goes into last highlighted collection.
    A menu similar to bookmark saving would be useful.

  • dstillman
    Yes, Zotero saves to the last-used collection, and always has.

    We'll likely add a better way to choose the target collection in the connectors when using Standalone. In Zotero for Firefox this isn't really a big deal, since the Zotero pane is right there.
  • vsb1357
    Thanks for the clarification. I am not a programmer and I cannot judge how difficult or easy is adding this feature. Although my guess is that adding a 'save as ...' option should not be a big deal. I hope to see this option in future releases.
  • dragonfly
    edited October 24, 2016

    "In Zotero for Firefox this isn't really a big deal, since the Zotero pane is right there".
    Unfortunately I'm now using Chromium Web Browser (because of uncertainty in Firefox development path) and so Zotero must be stand alone. Also, as I understand, the Zotero development path is to offer only stand alone even if it is some time ahead.

    I started to look into editing Zotero connector but realised that there are other ways of referencing a save menu. In fact the best menu to use is Zotero's collection menu (as in Firefox).

    In Ubuntu I can create a grid of workspaces which appear as thumbnails in bottom bar.
    Opening Zotero stand alone and clicking on Zotero top tool bar (or just right clicking on Zotero window title) I can move Zotero window into a different workspace.

    e.g. Move to Workspace Right
    Maximise Zotero window in Workspace Right.

    Now I switch back to browser in Workspace Left.
    Maximise browser window.

    This usage of dual Workspaces allows fast toggling between maximised browser window and Zotero window.

    Workflow:

    Find web page of interest
    Toggle to Workspace Right to show Zotero window
    Select target collection in Zotero collection menu
    Toggle back to Workspace Left to show browser window.
    Click on Save to Zotero (which saves to target collection).

    I did experiment further and this short workflow might be even shorter by a script using command line utitilties xwininfo and wmctrl. This script would resize and position browser window and Zotero window as a dual-window configuration in one Workspace.

    But meanwhile I can live with toggling between Workspaces.
    Perhaps later a script can be embedded in Zotero to auto configure dual-window usage.

    Toggle ...

    show browser only
    show Zotero stand alone only
    show dual pane browser/Zotero

    ==========================================================

    [Later Edit]
    Note that the workspaces have to be reset after each reboot.

    Another simpler way of setting up this "toggle" workflow between browser (Chromium Web Browser) and Zotero (standalone) is to install Docky app in Ubuntu. Then just use the Docky buttons to switch between open windows.
  • mark
    This is not what you're asking for, but here is a workaround you might consider. Rather than an elaborate setup toggling or switching between collections and windows, just add stuff to your library and categorize or put it in collections later.

    For instance, you can use the "unfiled items" view and sort it by date added to find the most recently added items, and then add them to collections at leisure. Or you can have a saved search for all items added in a particular period, e.g. last week or last month, and do this periodically.

    In general, I often find that when a task becomes too complex, it pays off to break it up in bits that can be done separately. In this case, break it up into "1. getting stuff I want in my library", "2. categorizing it by collection".
  • stefanct
    Sorry if resurrecting the dead is unwelcomed around here, but there is still not way to force the Zotero Connector to push new items to a specific subcollection AFAICS. I am missing this feature a lot since I heavily rely on the subcollections for organization and thus it is really annoying if items end up in the wrong one. In a sense this well meant "feature" of Zotero always selecting the last subcollection is really a bug to me.
  • dstillman
    edited February 6, 2020
    @stefanct: Choosing a collection to save to has been possible since 2018:

    https://twitter.com/zotero/status/991052142717886464

    You have to be saving to the Zotero desktop app, not to the web library.

    If you're having trouble, please start a new thread.
  • stefanct
    edited February 6, 2020
    Well, not exactly what I need but after reading the posts above more diligently I agree that it does not belong here, thanks.

    I opened an issue after looking a bit at the code: https://github.com/zotero/zotero-connectors/issues/300
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