select multiple folders

darrask
Currently, in Zotero 2, it is not possible to select multiple folders in the browser tree. You can use that to move them in another one, or watch the pooled references, and all other folder operations.
If it is not feasible to select more than one folder in the tree, why not making folders visible in the central item list part like the citations?
  • Bionatsci
    Currently, in Zotero 2, it is not possible to select multiple folders in the browser tree.
    I suggested something similar a few months ago, as part of this thread.

    Basically a big +1 for this. It is probably the top feature on my wishlist at the moment, since I have almost 150 collections, and managing them is becoming a little bit tricky without the ability to select multiple collections.

    Typical use cases:

    1. I might want to search for an item relating to a particular project, but if I search my whole library I would get a lot of false positives depending on search string. Currently I would have to input a "collection is" condition in the advanced search 20 or more times. This will become more of an issue as my library grows.
    2. I often want to get a quick overview of the material I have gathered for a particular project, ignoring fine subdivisions such as "introductory material", "references for table 2" etc. I find the recursive collections pref too much of a blunt instrument for this - since there are other times when I want to see only the items which are in the main collection for the project, as opposed to the project's subcollections.


        I realise that tags allow me to do multi-select already but I have tried using tags for the use cases above and find the lack of heirarchy too inconvenient. For example I use the following sort of collection tree for a project:

        *Project x
        *Useful methods
        *Background reading
        *Refs. for introduction
        *Supporting work
        *Contradictory work
        *For figures
        *1
        *2
        *3
        *For tables
        *1
        *2
  • rgocs
    Another +1 to this.

    I have a similar sub-collection hierarchy for my references. An extra problem comes when trying to export it to BibTeX. Even the recursive hidden option does not seem to let me export the whole collection tree as a BibTeX file and I have to export each sub-collection on its own.
  • Bionatsci
    rgocs - you might also be interested in this thread, which suggests a "quick toggle" for recursive collections. It wouldn't help with your BibTex issue, but it might be at least a partial solution to managing complex collection hierarchies.
  • mark
    Another +1 — essential in larger libraries.
  • ohthere
    Big +1 for this. I'm constantly peeking at any reference manager that has this functionality. So essential.

    Currently, Performing search with 'all..' 'folder is..' options can do this, but it is way too cumbersome.
  • dstillman
    This wouldn't be trivial to implement, since a lot of code assumes single selection, but I agree that it would be nice. Issue created.
  • dstillman
    Marking this Help Welcome in case someone wants to try it.

    There are some open questions, like what happens if you try to add an item with multiple collections selected. Is the item placed in all selected collections?
  • ohthere
    I'd want that. (Placing the new item in all selected collections.) That would be even more fantastic.

    I'm dense about plug-in programming, but I'm eager to give opinions about interface questions like this.
  • ohthere
    I also wanna reiterate Bionatsci's point that choosing multiple collections will almost make it a hierarchical tag system. It will enable combinatorial collection to define an item, as in here. Multiple selection will be a really exciting feature.
  • justinrr
    +1 on this feature. Would make my workflow easier.
  • wonblee
    +1. If there is an open ticket for this request, does that mean the developers are considering it?
    https://github.com/zotero/zotero/issues/177
  • adamsmith
    an open ticket (in Zotero - other projects use this differently) means that devs agree with it, will accept patches to implement it, and generally want to implement it themselves, though there's no ETA. Tickets can stay open for multiple years (or be resolved within weeks).
  • ben.hjorth
    any update on this? I want to move a large number of collections under a new umbrella collection and would like not to have to drag and drop each one individually...
  • kwamepr
    It's 2024, this issue is nearly 15 years old. Any movement on this?
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