collections: separator

raf
Not sure whether this would be a popular request but I'm reaching the stage where the amount of collections and sub-collections in My Library starts to appear a bit unwieldy.

Perhaps it would be interesting to implement the possibility of separating (a group of) collections from the ones above by inserting a grey line or separator in the left pane (instead of making these collections into sub-collections of yet another collection). When a given collection is highlighted, the right-click menu could then have "Insert Separator."
  • noksagt
    I'm not opposed to the idea, but I don't know how it would make things easier to handle. Would not creating a smaller set of top-level collections (and making your "old" top-level collections sub-collections of those) solve your problem? The interface already partitions collections well. Adding a separator wouldn't be worthless, but it doesn't seem to be that helpful.

    For large trees, a shortcut to expand/collapse all collections and/or the subcollections of a selected collection might be useful. (This completely separate possible feature isn't meant to hijack the thread--I'm merely to try to brainstorm solutions to the underlying issue that prompted the request.)
  • raf
    edited August 29, 2007
    I'm not opposed to the idea, but I don't know how it would make things easier to handle.
    My entire Zotero collection or My Library is entirely dedicated to a particular topic or large research project (e.g. travelogues on China). Most collections I made are either thematically related to this particular project or they organize the references according to author data (e.g. collections that bring together references on the basis of the nationality of the author, or on the basis of his/her religious affiliation). These collections have many sub-collections (e.g. name of country, or denomination). At the same time, there are also top-level collections that are not related to the particular project in a thematic way or that do not organize the references on the basis of author data (e.g. "About this bibliography" or "Digital copies" or "Pen Drawings"). Instead of having these last collections appear (alphabetically) between a nicely ordered tree of thematic collections, it could be interesting if such collections could be separated from other (and thematic) collections. Though this is a different issue, to have some way to explain to future guests or users what My Library is all about, could be interesting as well.
    Would not creating a smaller set of top-level collections (and making your "old" top-level collections sub-collections of those) solve your problem?
    The downside of transforming collections into sub-collections would also be that all items in the sub-collections have to be dragged into the top-level collection for them to be highlighted when I press the Alt key in My-Library-view. (Unless I'm doing something wrong.)
    For large trees, a shortcut to expand/collapse all collections and/or the subcollections of a selected collection might be useful.
    It certainly would. (Just trying to think out loud, too. )
  • noksagt
    The downside of transforming collections into sub-collections would also be that all items in the sub-collections have to be dragged into the top-level collection for them to be highlighted when I press the Alt key in My-Library-view. (Unless I'm doing something wrong.)
    Is there an advantage to not having child items automatically highlight parent collections? If not, this seems like an obvious feature request. If there is a real advantage to this "mixed lineage," perhaps parent collections should be highlighted in some other color when an item was in a child collection, but not the parent collection (as opposed to being unhighlighted)?
  • dstillman
    edited August 29, 2007
    For large trees, a shortcut to expand/collapse all collections and/or the subcollections of a selected collection might be useful.
    Try '-' and '+' in the collections and items list.
  • noksagt
    Try '-' and '+' in the collections and items list.
    Thanks--exactly what I was thinking
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