Error Report ID n/a "There was an error starting Zotero."

abelinskiy
Immediately after the latest Zotero update, during Zotero start up I am getting the following error message:

"There was an error starting Zotero.

Error: Error(s) encountered during statement execution: Creator names cannot be empty [QUERY: INSERT INTO creators (creatorID, firstName, lastName, fieldMode) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)] [PARAMS: 28813, , , 1] [ERROR: Creator names cannot be empty]
Zotero.DBConnection.prototype.queryAsync<@chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/db.js:664:13
From previous event:
Zotero.DataObject.prototype.save</result<@chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/data/dataObject.js:887:15
TaskImpl_run@resource://gre/modules/Task.jsm:326:42
TaskImpl@resource://gre/modules/Task.jsm:275:3
asyncFunction@resource://gre/modules/Task.jsm:247:14
Task_spawn@resource://gre/modules/Task.jsm:161:12
executeTransaction/promise</transactionPromise<@resource://gre/modules/Sqlite.jsm:588:30"

At this point I have been given two options:
1. Check for update. This gives another message: "No updates found"
2. Quit.

The problem persists after I have restarted my computer.
What is the best way to resolve the problem? (All data are saved on the local drive.)

I have assumably the latest version of Zotero, at least, I have been accepting new updates regularly.

Best Regards,
Aleksandr
  • abelinskiy
    Dear Zotero expert,
    In addition to above report, I have generated Debug log using command line "C:\Program Files (x86)\Zotero\zotero.exe" -ZoteroDebug" ,but has not been able submit this log and generated Error Report ID number.
    I have uploaded truncated Debug log 202005111015PM to a GoogleDrive:

    https://tinyurl.com/y96sjybm

    (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1epRNDM9W1HGzf42fj2694btdwrvfiqX0/view?usp=sharing)
    Aleksandr
  • dstillman
    (3)(+0000001): Migrating Extra fields for item 1/4NV7HZVV

    (3)(+0000000): Original Extra: ...[Removed]
    (3)(+0000001): Creators:

    (3)(+0000001): [ "0": { "creatorType": "author" "name": "" } ]
    We need to actually know what's in that field — at least the relevant creator line — since that's where this is failing.
  • dstillman
    edited May 12, 2020
    OK, I can reproduce this with an Extra field containing an empty author line using the old citeproc-js cheater syntax:

    {:author: }

    (Do you recall adding that?)

    I've fixed this in the latest Zotero beta. You can download the Windows ZIP version of the beta, run zotero.exe from that to perform this operation, and then return to 5.0.86. We'll push out 5.0.87 with this fix soon.
  • Justin_G_A
    I also received what appears - to a complete ignoramus - a similar error message on 5.0.86. As far as I am aware I have not edited any citation files. 5.0.87 loads, without any apparent loss of data on Mac OS 10.15.4. This is the error message on 5.0.86:

    There was an error starting Zotero.

    Error: Error(s) encountered during statement execution: Creator names cannot be empty [QUERY: INSERT INTO creators (creatorID, firstName, lastName, fieldMode) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)] [PARAMS: 8047, , , 1] [ERROR: Creator names cannot be empty]
    Zotero.DBConnection.prototype.queryAsync<@chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/db.js:664:13
    From previous event:
    Zotero.DataObject.prototype.save</result<@chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/data/dataObject.js:887:15
    TaskImpl_run@resource://gre/modules/Task.jsm:326:42
    TaskImpl@resource://gre/modules/Task.jsm:275:3
    asyncFunction@resource://gre/modules/Task.jsm:247:14
    Task_spawn@resource://gre/modules/Task.jsm:161:12
    executeTransaction/promise</transactionPromise<@resource://gre/modules/Sqlite.jsm:588:30
  • abelinskiy
    dstillman,

    Thank you for a prompt resolution. I has been able to access my data with Zotero beta.
    Aleksandr
  • dstillman
    This is fixed in Zotero 5.0.87, available now.

    (@JustinLA: This wasn't about "citation files" — it was due to having a line resembling "{:author: }" in the Extra field of one of your items.)
  • abelinskiy
    dstillman,

    Just for your record. The line which I have truncated in Debug log is following below. It is in fact contains a line, containing "Author: " as you figured out. I have copied the text into an Extra field from an external source and have not expected that it could cause an error.

    Thanks,

    Aleksandr

    (3)(+0000000):Original Extra: Also: Social differentials in metropolitan residential displacement. Author: Lee BA; Hodge DC Source: [Unpublished] 1981. Paper presented at the Population Association of America Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., Mar. 26-28, 1981. 43 p. https://www.popline.org/node/410835

    (3)(+0000001): Creators:

    (3)(+0000001): ["0": {"creatorType": "author""name": ""} ]
  • dstillman
    Do you still have the original unmodified output? If so, would you mind sending it to support@zotero.org with a link to this thread?

    It looks like you made at least one manual edit to the above debug output — it's not formatted that way by default — and I don't see how the exact value you gave above could've resulted in an error. We'd want to see the "Remaining Extra" line as well.

    It's obviously somewhat moot at this point given that the problem is fixed for you in 5.0.87, but since this involves a database upgrade step, I'd like to make sure I understand exactly what was happening to be sure we're handling things correctly.
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