Easier attaching of PDFs to records

seans_potato_biz
When I want to link a PDF to a record, I have to first add the PDF to Zotero and then drag the entree to the appropriate record. I would like it if I could a) highlight a record and then add the PDF directly to it by using the green/white plus symbol or b) context-click on the record and select "add file" so that I can add a PDF directly to it.
  • dstillman
    If you're viewing a PDF in the browser, you can either drag the favicon (the icon to the left of the address bar) directly over an item in Zotero or right-click and choose "Attach Snapshot of Current Page" to save the PDF as a child attachment.

    If you're dragging in a PDF from the OS, you can also drag it directly over an item.
  • mark
    And if you're not viewing the PDF in the browser, but you do have a direct link to the file, you can simply drag that link onto the entry in Zotero.
  • hubtero
    When I try and drag a PDF link into Zotero 2b3, or choose "Save Link as Zotero Item", it doesn't get imported. Instead Firefox (3.5b4 on Ubuntu, with PDF content set to "always ask") pops up the dialog asking what to do with the file.
  • mark
    This depends on the type of link. Some website do not offer a direct, physical link to the PDF file but instead to some script that serves the PDF file. The Zotero drag and drop interface cannot handle the latter so these are passed on to Firefox.
  • hubtero
    They're direct PDF links, as far as I can tell.
  • mark
    (You can tell by looking at the URL. It should be a static URL without variable strings.)
  • hubtero
    Yes, they're static PDF links.
  • mark
    Perhaps this falls under one of the known issues; that page does mention that "File drag-and-drop is broken on Linux".
  • mronkko
    There is a nice plugin called zotfile for that. It takes the latest PDF file in your downloads folder and attaches it to the current Zotero item.
  • hubtero
    I'd like to just be able to drag in the PDF link, it's obviously not working as it should, but will give Zotfile a try too, thanks.
  • seans_potato_biz
    edited June 14, 2009
    Nonetheless, linking added PDFs to the currently-selected record or doing it via context-click would be useful since I don't normally have my folder of PDFs open in order to drag the file from there anyway.
  • molingo
    As said before: I really would like to see drag+drop of links to pdfs on my harddrive without that the pdf is stored in the zotero storage.

    Before this is not working we can't really use zotero in our working environment! Or do all the other scientific groups not store their pdfs in their own folder structure?!?

    Greetings
    molingo
  • adamsmith
    molingo - no need to double-post - and the request made by Sean is different from yours anyway.
    Dan has responded in your thread - the discussion is going to be most productive if you keep it there.
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