Problems experienced with new beta library

Hello,

I apologize if this has been addressed else where but I currently have 3 issues.

1. I have used Zoteros online web library system for years on a MacBook and with the new web library I am unable to actually input any information for my sources. I like to add things manually, when I try to add a new source it will not let me add any information. I can the see info box, I can select show empty fields but I can’t input the data. When I click an empty field I want to fill, it takes me back to the info box with the empty fields hidden. I have tried on both Chrome and Safari. Neither browser will let me add information.

2. I am trying to teach my students how to use the web library, and can’t figure out how to switch from the new library to the old on a PC, it’s not in the same place as in the Mac even when using the same browser.

3. The link to create a new discussion in the forums does not seem to work for the desktop Mac version of the site. When I click ‘new discussion’ it takes me to the Zotero homepage. I had to access the forum from my phone I order to submit this.

Thank you
  • I have used Zoteros online web library system for years on a MacBook and with the new web library I am unable to actually input any information for my sources. I like to add things manually
    While this should work, just to be clear, this is absolutely not the recommended way of using Zotero. We strongly recommend using (and teaching) 1) the Zotero desktop app and 2) the Zotero Connector to save to it. You're missing out on a huge amount of functionality by limiting yourself to the web library and manual entry. (Note, though, that the new web library also has an Add Item by Identifier function that can take URLs, so even if you were committed to using the web library and didn't want to use the Zotero Connector to save to it, you would still want to use that whenever possible.)
    I can the see info box, I can select show empty fields but I can’t input the data. When I click an empty field I want to fill, it takes me back to the info box with the empty fields hidden.
    I'm not really sure what you mean here. What does "I can select show empty fields" mean? What does "with empty fields hidden" mean? The new interface simply shows the same kind of info pane as the desktop app, with all fields visible, and you can click on a field and type to add metadata.
    I am trying to teach my students how to use the web library, and can’t figure out how to switch from the new library to the old on a PC, it’s not in the same place as in the Mac even when using the same browser.
    I don't know what you mean by this either. The platform you're using makes no difference. If you're in a desktop web browser, you can switch to the old version by clicking on the username at the top of the page and click "Use Old Web Library". But that's certainly not the version to teach, since it will be going away very soon. And we still strongly recommend teaching the desktop app rather than the web library for most users.
    The link to create a new discussion in the forums does not seem to work for the desktop Mac version of the site.
    That's not a general problem, but that would happen if something is blocking certain cookies. Is this in Safari? If you're having trouble, you can always use a different browser to post.
  • edited February 26, 2020
    @bcleroux: Ah, sorry, I see what you're referring to. There's a different view that might be used on a small laptop screen (by MacBook do you mean the actual 12" MacBook?) where the item pane is displayed below the items list, and in that case there's a toggle to show/hide empty fields, and clicking on an empty field currently just toggles that setting. We'll fix that.

    When in that view, you can temporarily switch back to the old library by clicking on the menu in the top-right corner and selecting Use Old Web Library. But if possible, you should try simply increasing the width of your browser window to get the normal view in the new library. You can also decrease the zoom by a level (Cmd+-) to get the normal view. (Just remember to reset it back to normal size (Cmd+0) once this is fixed.)
  • @bcleroux: OK, the editing issue should now be fixed.
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