Cannot import references to Zotero any more

sourishbasu
I usually import references to Zotero by first saving a .ris or .bib file, then importing it in Zotero. However, I cannot do that any more for the past few days. I get a "connection error".

Report ID: 979682920

I do not need or have a proxy to connect to the internet. I have disabled all VPN and other network security settings in order to test. Most importantly, importing .bib and .ris on this very same computer -- with whatever network settings I have -- used to work until a few days back.
  • sourishbasu
    edited March 22, 2023
    When I try to import the same .ris or .bib files to my web library through a browser, it creates an entry where the Title is the file name, and all other fields are blank. It does not give a connection error, but clearly what it does is not ideal. Does Zotero not support importing .ris/.bib files any more?
  • dstillman
    I think there's some misunderstanding here.

    First, you would generally save to Zotero from the browser by clicking the Save to Zotero button in the toolbar, not by downloading and importing RIS or BibTeX files, unless you're saving large numbers of items and hitting Site Access Limits.

    But even if you were manually importing RIS/BibTeX files, nothing related to a "connection error" would be relevant, since those are local operations.

    So it's not clear what you're referring to here, and we'd want exact Steps to Reproduce, including the exact error message you're seeing. If it helps, you can take a screenshot, upload it somewhere (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.), and provide a link here.

    If there's a problem with a specific operation, you can also provide a Debug ID for it.
  • dstillman
    When I try to import the same .ris or .bib files to my web library through a browser, it creates an entry where the Title is the file name, and all other fields are blank.
    The web library has never supported importing RIS/BibTeX files. You're just uploading those as attachments.
  • sourishbasu
    Also worth adding that I sent the .bib and .ris files to a colleague who uses the Zotero desktop client on Linux, and he could import them without problems. So looks like something is off with my desktop client.
  • sourishbasu
    Report ID: 1239899844

    Steps to reproduce:

    1. Open Zotero desktop client.
    2. Go to File -> Import and select "A file (BibTeX, RIS, Zotero RDF, etc.)"
    3. Try to import any .ris or .bib file, this one for example: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19rxww86bPMRzdnPFIPKgNRjGf2AUAxh_/view?usp=share_link
    4. De-select "place imported items into new collection" (I never want that).
    5. Click "continue"
    6. This is the error I get: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jw94tamt4OyRHxoGn3dOrrrg-zqQ5vLK/view?usp=share_link
    7. If I click "Report Error", this is the text I get:

    ----------------------------------
    [JavaScript Error: "The connection was refused when attempting to contact wss://stream.zotero.org/." {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/streamer.js" line: 155}]

    [JavaScript Error: "WebSocket connection closed: 1006 "]

    [JavaScript Error: "The connection was refused when attempting to contact wss://stream.zotero.org/." {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/streamer.js" line: 155}]

    [JavaScript Error: "WebSocket connection closed: 1006 "]

    [JavaScript Error: "XML Parsing Error: syntax error
    Location: moz-nullprincipal:{1f502a59-c468-6f42-8c3e-93155fe4646d}
    Line Number 1, Column 1:" {file: "moz-nullprincipal:{1f502a59-c468-6f42-8c3e-93155fe4646d}" line: 1 column: 1 source: "TY - JOUR"}]

    [JavaScript Error: "XML Parsing Error: syntax error
    Location: moz-nullprincipal:{ed08d3a1-f467-ce4d-aa60-1c824a03b930}
    Line Number 1, Column 1:" {file: "moz-nullprincipal:{ed08d3a1-f467-ce4d-aa60-1c824a03b930}" line: 1 column: 1 source: "TY - JOUR"}]

    [JavaScript Error: "XML Parsing Error: syntax error
    Location: moz-nullprincipal:{bbd386d7-d1ad-aa4a-9c34-7fc7ce6d7905}
    Line Number 1, Column 1:" {file: "moz-nullprincipal:{bbd386d7-d1ad-aa4a-9c34-7fc7ce6d7905}" line: 1 column: 1 source: "TY - JOUR"}]

    [JavaScript Error: "XML Parsing Error: syntax error
    Location: moz-nullprincipal:{d86ea2f6-d815-674b-981a-98dc0f61ea90}
    Line Number 1, Column 1:" {file: "moz-nullprincipal:{d86ea2f6-d815-674b-981a-98dc0f61ea90}" line: 1 column: 1 source: "TY - JOUR"}]

    [JavaScript Error: "TypeError: translation.newItems is undefined" {file: "chrome://zotero/content/fileInterface.js" line: 675}]

    [JavaScript Error: "The connection to wss://stream.zotero.org/ has terminated unexpectedly. Some data may have been transferred." {file: "chrome://zotero/content/xpcom/streamer.js" line: 155}]

    [JavaScript Error: "WebSocket connection closed: 1006 "]

    [JavaScript Error: "XML Parsing Error: syntax error
    Location: moz-nullprincipal:{865f11d0-34ee-6c4c-84dc-e4d3996a081d}
    Line Number 1, Column 1:" {file: "moz-nullprincipal:{865f11d0-34ee-6c4c-84dc-e4d3996a081d}" line: 1 column: 1 source: "TY - JOUR"}]

    [JavaScript Error: "XML Parsing Error: syntax error
    Location: moz-nullprincipal:{61d18dc4-8c6d-dd49-afea-a28f8be67a05}
    Line Number 1, Column 1:" {file: "moz-nullprincipal:{61d18dc4-8c6d-dd49-afea-a28f8be67a05}" line: 1 column: 1 source: "TY - JOUR"}]

    [JavaScript Error: "XML Parsing Error: syntax error
    Location: moz-nullprincipal:{c8a0e638-e373-9d40-b00c-f159c6885fa0}
    Line Number 1, Column 1:" {file: "moz-nullprincipal:{c8a0e638-e373-9d40-b00c-f159c6885fa0}" line: 1 column: 1 source: "TY - JOUR"}]

    [JavaScript Error: "XML Parsing Error: syntax error
    Location: moz-nullprincipal:{0d8c1610-06e5-de47-9a99-6b56e47a5695}
    Line Number 1, Column 1:" {file: "moz-nullprincipal:{0d8c1610-06e5-de47-9a99-6b56e47a5695}" line: 1 column: 1 source: "TY - JOUR"}]

    [JavaScript Error: "TypeError: translation.newItems is undefined" {file: "chrome://zotero/content/fileInterface.js" line: 675}]

    [JavaScript Error: "XML Parsing Error: syntax error
    Location: moz-nullprincipal:{062b3f6e-c982-ad4d-b601-306c58a08fe5}
    Line Number 1, Column 1:" {file: "moz-nullprincipal:{062b3f6e-c982-ad4d-b601-306c58a08fe5}" line: 1 column: 1 source: "TY - JOUR"}]

    [JavaScript Error: "XML Parsing Error: syntax error
    Location: moz-nullprincipal:{dd7b44b9-8807-0d45-82cf-f5072a1e9893}
    Line Number 1, Column 1:" {file: "moz-nullprincipal:{dd7b44b9-8807-0d45-82cf-f5072a1e9893}" line: 1 column: 1 source: "TY - JOUR"}]

    [JavaScript Error: "XML Parsing Error: syntax error
    Location: moz-nullprincipal:{866af000-bf87-cb44-9ac0-20571bb45359}
    Line Number 1, Column 1:" {file: "moz-nullprincipal:{866af000-bf87-cb44-9ac0-20571bb45359}" line: 1 column: 1 source: "TY - JOUR"}]

    [JavaScript Error: "XML Parsing Error: syntax error
    Location: moz-nullprincipal:{1e8d6085-cefe-3843-ae0c-b0fb09e86054}
    Line Number 1, Column 1:" {file: "moz-nullprincipal:{1e8d6085-cefe-3843-ae0c-b0fb09e86054}" line: 1 column: 1 source: "TY - JOUR"}]

    [JavaScript Error: "TypeError: translation.newItems is undefined" {file: "chrome://zotero/content/fileInterface.js" line: 675}]

    version => 6.0.23, platform => MacIntel, oscpu => Intel Mac OS X 10.16, locale => en-US, appName => Zotero, appVersion => 6.0.23, extensions => Zotero LibreOffice Integration (6.0.4.SA.6.0.23, extension), Zotero Word for Mac Integration (6.0.6.SA.6.0.23, extension)
    ----------------------------------

    Here's a screenshot of the dialog box: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1agndChA6QSJVInsoOL9HSpwO-BpU-b_4/view?usp=share_link

    8. I can then click "continue" and get a report ID. That is 1239899844. Here's a screenshot: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MaU2yaXSxlD14Kjyh2smK8HfXGQ-qmPR/view?usp=share_link

    (the report ID is highlighted because I had just selected it to copy it into this message).
  • sourishbasu
    Debug ID: D951275317
  • dstillman
    edited March 22, 2023
    Right, so that doesn't have anything to do with a connection error. Don't try to interpret or quote from the error report — that's for us. Just say the problem you're experiencing and what you're seeing on screen in Zotero itself.
    (3)(+0000005): Getting contents of /Users/[…]/Zotero/translators/BetterBibTeX JSON.js

    (4)(+0000003): Translate: Parsing code for BetterBibTeX JSON (36a3b0b5-bad0-4a04-b79b-441c7cef77db, 2023-01-27)

    (2)(+0000020): Translate: Detect using BetterBibTeX JSON failed:
    Error: Unable to detect clientName
    You have an import translator left over from the Better BibTeX plugin. Reset your translators from the Advanced → Files and Folders pane of the Zotero preferences and this will go away.

    When is the last time you had Better BibTeX installed?

    @emilianoeheyns: This is the second report in the last day from people without BBT installed still having "BetterBibTeX JSON.js" installed and having broken RIS imports.
  • sourishbasu
    OK, understood about not quoting from the error report.

    Here's the interesting thing. For the last couple of years, I've been using Zotero on a laptop with the Better BibTeX. Two weeks ago, I got this replacement laptop while my main laptop was in for servicing. I signed in to Zotero on this replacement laptop. As far as I remember, I *never* installed Better BibTeX on this laptop, because I knew it was going to be a temporary machine anyway.

    Despite that, I could import .ris and .bib files on this temporary machine till a couple of days ago.

    FYI, I followed your advice and now I can import again, thanks!
  • dstillman
    Did you copy the Zotero data directory from the other computer? The BBT translator got onto this computer somehow.
  • emilianoeheyns
    I have just tested to be sure, and BBT removes its translators when it is uninstalled. I don't know what went wrong on these systems.

    I don't see how the presence of the BetterBibTeX JSON translator (with or without BBT being installed) could affect RIS import, but I've just tested by chucking the BBT JSON translator in the translators directory, and I can import RIS without problems.
  • emilianoeheyns
    edited March 22, 2023
    If translation.newItems refers to BBT code (not sure from the log snippet), that is used inside a convenience method I use to import data, it is not used in monkey patches and I don't expect that to be called from outside BBT; if I saw that error I would assume BBT is still actually running. It is used in my aux scanner, which is only kicked off manually.
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