Upgrade StorageHow to customize the layout of the web-application
Dear all,
is there a way to customize the layout of the Zotero library in the web-version?
(1) If you have a large desktop, you can see three columns:
- one that is almost totally empty except for the information about which library you are currently in;
- a very broad middle section with the list of your bibliographical entries;
- and a narrow column to the right that shows all information of the title that you have currently marked in the middle section.
From the perspective of a researcher, I consider the right column far more important than the rudimentary list in the middle section, because in the right section you will find all important information, such as the publication place, and more and more often an DOI or the link to a repository where you can find the respective work. So, is there a way to reduce the width of the left and the middle sections and to enlarge the width of the right section for everybody who visits my library?
(2) The middle section starts with a column for the "Title" and then a column for the "Creator". Is there a way to switch this sequence permanently? I can switch it manually, but when I close the browser and reopen it, the previous sequence reappers.
Again from the perspective of a researcher the other way around is far more better and more logical, because every bibliography is arranged according to author names, and not according to titles. Therefore, it is more logical to have this information more to the the place where you start reading, and in Western scripts, this is to the left. And it is far more logical that the list of entries is arranged according to the authors' names, not according to titles.
(And by the way: Old-fashioned people like me, who used to write on these odd things called paper ;-), call people who write down something on this stuff "author" and "editor" but not "creator".)
Best wishes,
Lutz
is there a way to customize the layout of the Zotero library in the web-version?
(1) If you have a large desktop, you can see three columns:
- one that is almost totally empty except for the information about which library you are currently in;
- a very broad middle section with the list of your bibliographical entries;
- and a narrow column to the right that shows all information of the title that you have currently marked in the middle section.
From the perspective of a researcher, I consider the right column far more important than the rudimentary list in the middle section, because in the right section you will find all important information, such as the publication place, and more and more often an DOI or the link to a repository where you can find the respective work. So, is there a way to reduce the width of the left and the middle sections and to enlarge the width of the right section for everybody who visits my library?
(2) The middle section starts with a column for the "Title" and then a column for the "Creator". Is there a way to switch this sequence permanently? I can switch it manually, but when I close the browser and reopen it, the previous sequence reappers.
Again from the perspective of a researcher the other way around is far more better and more logical, because every bibliography is arranged according to author names, and not according to titles. Therefore, it is more logical to have this information more to the the place where you start reading, and in Western scripts, this is to the left. And it is far more logical that the list of entries is arranged according to the authors' names, not according to titles.
(And by the way: Old-fashioned people like me, who used to write on these odd things called paper ;-), call people who write down something on this stuff "author" and "editor" but not "creator".)
Best wishes,
Lutz
(2) The column order (and width) should already stick: once you drag "Creator" before "Title" in the item list, the web library saves that in your browser's
localStorageand should keep it across restarts. If it keeps reverting, something local is clearing that storage between sessions: a private/incognito window, a browser set to clear site data on exit, or privacy/security software (ad blockers, antivirus "privacy cleaners," etc.) can all wipelocalStoragefor zotero.org. Worth testing in a different browser (or a normal window, if you're in private browsing) to see if it sticks there.(1) That's a pity. I'm going to use a Zotero library for a website and would like to grant everyone who uses the website access to this library. Therefore, the Desktop App solution isn't working, and I wanted to provide an extra service for our users, who are mostly interested in full bibliographical information. For them, the right column will be the most important.
(2) The same: I wanted to give a little extra service and present a familiar layout, because bibliographies are arranged first by authors, and only then by titles (or by date, depending on the chosen bibliographic system). Therefore, readers of our bibliography will expect an alphabetical order by authors' names. Just out of curiosity: What is the reason behind this deviation from the common practice?
(3) Yes, I realized that you were looking for a hyperonym that encompasses "author" and "editor", and that this is not an easy task. I just wanted to point out that a "creator" sound a bit artificial and awkward for people like me. It reminded me immediately of those boxes of cheap books in supermarkets with signs that read "diverse interpreters".
We know some people/organizations who use public groups are interested in being able to set defaults for their group libraries, so it's possible the default column layout for a group could also be configurable in this way in the future.