Sync Error: Parent item AJXHTFHX cannot be a child item

ncraig · November 17, 2020

Today I started getting the following Sync error:

`Parent item AJXHTFHX cannot be a child item`

While I'm getting a sync error, I can make changes to the local and see that they are reflected in my library viewed through a web browser. Still, I think it best to get to the bottom of the error.

I have the following ReportID: 1593579619

Win10
Zotero 5.0.93

Thanks in advance for any insight.

dstillman · November 17, 2020

Can you provide a Debug ID (different from a Report ID) for a sync attempt that results in this error?

dstillman · November 17, 2020

After providing a Debug ID, you should then check your database integrity from the Advanced → Files and Folders pane of the Zotero preferences and see if it passes.

ncraig · November 17, 2020

Here is a Debug ID after restart. Following restart, there was a sync attempt that produced the same error.

Debug ID: D1870491685

Checking the database for errors found errors. I selected the option to repair the database and restart the application. Following this, there are no errors. That seems to have resolved the issue. I should have thought to do this first.

As an early adopter of the application, I've used Zotero for years without ever having errors in the database. Yesterday, I added a new plugin Mdnotes for Zotero which creates Markdown notes from Zotero notes items. Working with that new plugin, I created and deleted several instances of Markdown notes. I noticed that after repairing the database, there was a markdown file and symbolic link at the top level. In light of the fact that the error related to a top level item, I'm wondering if this plugin was part of the issue and perhaps if it might be useful to relay this experience to the Mdnotes developer.

Thanks for a great piece of software, and wonderful long term support. I am deeply grateful for the good work you all do.

dstillman · November 17, 2020

Yes, I would definitely mention it to them. The issue here was that the note and attachment were marked as child items of another note in your library, which shouldn't be possible. (Zotero should block that at a code level as well, and we'll look to see if that wasn't happening, but a plugin obviously shouldn't try to do that in the first place, and if we fix it while they were still doing it it would just result in an error in their plugin.)