Upgrade StorageFeature Request [Android]: Make Standalone Notes Editable From PDF Viewer
(This feature request is mainly for the app, but it would be nice if it were implemented for the web version as well, which I'm currently forced to use due to IT security polices.)
I use Zotero from my computer about 70% of the time. The remaining 25% of the time I use it from an Android tablet, and on my phone the remaining 5% of the time. On my computer, my workflow is to take structured notes in a standalone note that I create for each paper, while reading in the PDF viewer. (I do this in addition to using annotations feature.) The desktop UI makes this really easy because the Item Notes pane is viewable as a tab in the icon bar on the right hand side (RHS) of the PDF viewer. However, in the app, this pane is not accessible while viewing the PDF. It IS accessible from the library view, but it's very annoying to exit the PDF viewer in order to view the item notes, and interrupts my workflow.
It seems like the Item Notes pane might fit in nicely as an additional tab in the existing pane accessible as an icon in the upper LHS, where you can see the thumbnails, annotations, and outline. Alternatively, one could imagine placing the righthand 'bar' that exists in the desktop version of Zotero as a pane accessible from a completely different icon, where the tabs correspond to the paper metadata, abstract, notes and tags (i.e., make the menu that pops up when you click the "information" icon in the library view of the papers, also accessible within the PDF viewer).
I understand that workflows are individual, and I can't expect the exact same experience from desktop to tablet/phone app. However, I imagine that other users may also want to access the paper metadata, abstract, notes, and tag information without leaving the PDF viewer. It also seems like a fairly doable change that would fit in well with the existing app without making it too complicated.
I use Zotero from my computer about 70% of the time. The remaining 25% of the time I use it from an Android tablet, and on my phone the remaining 5% of the time. On my computer, my workflow is to take structured notes in a standalone note that I create for each paper, while reading in the PDF viewer. (I do this in addition to using annotations feature.) The desktop UI makes this really easy because the Item Notes pane is viewable as a tab in the icon bar on the right hand side (RHS) of the PDF viewer. However, in the app, this pane is not accessible while viewing the PDF. It IS accessible from the library view, but it's very annoying to exit the PDF viewer in order to view the item notes, and interrupts my workflow.
It seems like the Item Notes pane might fit in nicely as an additional tab in the existing pane accessible as an icon in the upper LHS, where you can see the thumbnails, annotations, and outline. Alternatively, one could imagine placing the righthand 'bar' that exists in the desktop version of Zotero as a pane accessible from a completely different icon, where the tabs correspond to the paper metadata, abstract, notes and tags (i.e., make the menu that pops up when you click the "information" icon in the library view of the papers, also accessible within the PDF viewer).
I understand that workflows are individual, and I can't expect the exact same experience from desktop to tablet/phone app. However, I imagine that other users may also want to access the paper metadata, abstract, notes, and tag information without leaving the PDF viewer. It also seems like a fairly doable change that would fit in well with the existing app without making it too complicated.
An integrated note editor in the reader is planned for the mobile apps. It just hasn't been implemented yet. (If there's a desktop feature missing from the mobile apps, you can just ask about it — no need to make a whole case for it. If we put it in the desktop app, there's a good chance we think it's a good idea!)