Change number of authors in "Creator" column.

ArturSousa
I would like to have Zotero as the number one cataloging program. As you know, there is a column on the front page of ZOTERO entitled "Creator", where the authors are supposed to appear.
Why must the expression "at al." appear in this column when I have more than two authors?.
I understand the reasons for this imposition and the layout view argument, but I would be very happy (really) if I could have in this column all the authors of a work (with some layout format), for the same reason as the title of the work is not cut off. I've tried in several ways to change this functionality but I don't understand anything about programming and formatting. Can you please add the option to increase the simultaneous number of authors that can appear in that column? If anyone knows an easy solution to my problem, let me know.
Thank you for your brilliant work.
  • LiborA
    Sorry, I am not understand your question. Do you speak about data collected in Zotero program or about the output from the style? In program, there should beso many author, as you need. he output from the style is based on the roles of individual style and aech style has its own. Can you describe step by step what are you doing?
  • dstillman
    edited July 14, 2021
    It's about the Creator column in the middle pane, which shows "and" for 2 people and "et al." for 3 or more. That's not configurable, though we could consider a preference for that. (It would probably only make sense on a big monitor or when using Stacked mode. In the default layout mode on most monitors, there's unlikely to be enough horizontal room to display more than a couple authors.)
  • ArturSousa
    First of all, thank you LiborA and dstillman for responding to my comment.

    hello dstillman,
    You understand my disappointment/explanation with the existing formatting for the "Creator" column in the middle panel, where only "and" is allowed for 2 authors and "et al." for 3 or more authors.
    I had already done a search and tried to change it, but I didn't find it configurable, as you told me.
    Could I suggest in a later Zotero review/release, that this limitation in the "Creator" column can be configurable for more than 2 visible authors, or even show all authors as described in the documents, even though most of them are hidden (cut off ) by the variable width of this column and beginning of the column on the right?
    The "Creator" column would gain another degree of freedom and I don't think I would be the only user to be happy with this functionality.
    I'm not experienced in organizing libraries, I just chose Zotero as the classifier of my information.
    Can you please think of my suggestion?
    Thank you for your extraordinary effort.
    Compliments
    Artur Sousa
  • helide
    edited August 10, 2021
    Yes! The function is exactly what I want.
    "Listing all the authors" is a very useful and important function for a Referance Management Software. Why it doesn't work in Zotero?


    Many users have put forward the demand for this function since 2013. It seems that Zotero developers alwalys ingore this request.

    It is so sad!!!!!!!!!!!

    https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/30475/et-al-in-creator-field
    https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/37831/show-creators-first-name-in-addition-to-last-name-in-the-middle-pane
    https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/37327/is-there-a-way-to-show-all-authors-in-the-creators-column

    I hope the Zotero developers can take a look at the comparison between endnote and Zotero.

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/kyAc2ZwB1BvcNE3j9 (Endnote)
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/CzV6QgDuacd9zmJK9 (Zotero)

    The zotero only list one or two authors in the panel, however, the Endnote show all the authors.
  • posenato
    I vote for this feature!
  • GaryChu
    I vote for this feature!
  • basile.tarchini
    Very much needed indeed.
  • emilianoeheyns
    Experimental, clunky, and what little I thought I knew about CSL was proven wrong in my first tests, but this adds CSL-powered custom columns to Zotero. That will allow listing all authors, although you might have to get comfortable with CSL (which I'm not, personally, so I can't help with creating the style).
  • JMartinR
    Related to this I notice that whilst a performer of a recording is shown in the creator column, the composer isn't, even when there is no performer listed. Editors are shown in the absence of authors, could not composers be shown in the absence of performers?
  • fang_zhe
    I also vote for this feature
  • domhelmlinger
    I vote for this feature - the only thing that I miss from Mendeley (there had to be one..)
  • mjthoraval
    This would also be useful for me. I have ~200 items in my library with "Creator" displayed as "Zhang et al." for example. So more information visible from the middle pane would be welcome.
    The constrains in horizontal room for smaller monitors could be overcome by a new display layout, for which the metadata could be displayed on 2 lines rather than 1 line currently used. This could be a View option to select between the current compact view and an extended view on 2 lines.
  • Vasi786
    I vote for this feature.
  • jacintayap
    I also vote for this feature
  • GerardGR
    One more vote for this! I have many papers where the first authors is the same, then being able to see more authors at a quick glance would be very useful.

    That being said, I am transitioning from Mendeley (my frustration with them just grew over time...), and so far I am very happy with Zotero! So keep the good work!
  • GorenITIS
    Another vote from me!
  • alexpetnet
    besides everything already mentioned, i'd prefer papers not to be associated with one author only (which is being re-enforced by the lack of this feature).
    and then, the random ordering of authors is taking off. assuming this is also not supported by zotero yet.

    make this feature happen, please !
  • gaston_fernandez

    Does anyone know if this issue has been solved or not? I would also like to see more than two authors in the "Creator" column instead of seeing the "et al".
  • josep.amer
    I also vote in favour of adding this needed feature.
  • sophieqzwang
    I would also vote in favor of adding this feature. Besides much better usability, the current implementation is especially unfair for those authors with common last names.
  • adrien.jegourel
    I vote for this, coming from Mendeley it would be great !
  • kasas
    I vote for this
  • fang_zhe
    Hi, all. This feature can be realized through the Zotero Style plugin. After the plugin is installed, just right-click the Creator column -> Column settings -> Input your format -> Set the slice as "0:1" for only displaying the first author or "0:-1" for displaying all authors.

    Format examples:
    - "${lastName} ${firstName}" displaying the full name
    - "${lastName}" displaying the last name

    Plugin: https://github.com/MuiseDestiny/zotero-style

    Tutorial: https://www.notion.so/Zotero-Style-bc2aebbbb6df4b7baa858e376e4fc5be#347b36d76f944edf943c0a77fda63947

    BTW, this plugin is really cool and worth your while to play.
  • Kris_Mueller
    edited December 12, 2023
    The 'zotero-style" plugin mentioned by fang_zhe did work for me. Thank you!
    I used the setting "0:10" and " ${lastName} ${firstName}" and ",". The 10 yields up to 10 authors. The "-1" setting omits in my case the last author.
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