Exporting Snapshot Annotations

blaufusj
I currently work at two computers in different locations, so it's great that Zotero allows you to export your library when you wish to move machines. However, after I export my library (Saving it as a Zotero RDF file) and import it onto another machine, I lose the annotations that I have added to my file snapshots.

This happens in both Zotero 1.0 and 2.0. Can someone point me to a resource that shows how to transfer your snapshot annotations along with the rest of your library when moving computers?

Thank You,

Jonathan Blaufuss
  • Tjowens
    The current annotation/highlighting system will be overhauled in a future version of Zotero. Existing annotations and highlights do not, and will not, sync in new versions of Zotero.

    With that said, if you want to move your entire Zotero data directory, you will be able to move the annotations from one machine to another.
  • adamsmith
    edited September 8, 2009
    you should not move your library with RDF export!
    http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data

    If you carry around your entire data directory (e.g. on a flash drive) will work.

    (edited to correct for what Trevor says).
  • blaufusj
    Thanks guys. That works great. I cant wait for future versions of Zotero where the sync functionality works with notes too.
  • zinaf
    Hello everyone, I am adding to this older thread as I do not quite understand why, as Tjowens pointed, annotations sync will not be introduced in future versions. To me an annotation or a highlight is an integral part of the snapshot and indeed should be synchronised.
    I constantly run into the situation where I need my annotations and highlights and regularly check this forum to see if there are any developments.

    Anyway, I just wanted to add my support to adding this functionality in the future.
    Cheers
  • adamsmith
    zinaf - reread what Trevor said - the current version of annotation doesn't lend itself to syncing. That's why in the future it will be overhauled so that syncing annotations is possible.
  • hagver
    Please, Zotero people, information like
    "Annotations and highlighting do not sync"
    really need to be included as a warning with the feature description,
    maybe also as a popup when using the feature.

    I just wasted close to two hours trying to figure out why I was not seeing
    my annotations from machine A on machine B.
    And more time is lost since any annotations and highlighting I have made so far
    are invisible on any but the originating computer - which is any of 3 different ones.
    Finally checked google, and the only page that came up was this forum page.

    Why do users have to find the reason the hard way ?
    Leaves me rather unhappy.
  • adamsmith
    the reason there is no warning is that the whole syncing thing is still quite new, the documentation not flawless and there are warnings missing in some spots.

    I'll put this into the documentation later, but developers should probably put a note in the sync-tab of the preferences. (and please, no pop-up...)

    Note that with the solution outlined by Trevor above you would still be able to move you annotated snapshots - I guess that's only feasible if you won't have to do this often, but if it's a one time thing that seems fine.
  • hagver
    Thank you for the quick response.
    Yes, a note in the sync tab should do.

    Copying the complete zotero directory will get information from machine A to B, but overwrite anything local on B. (Unpleasant, but not a desaster at present).

    Actually, I used to synchronize the zotero directories themselves using dropbox for a while, but I got scared of the resulting conflicting sqlite files, even though everything seemed to be allright contentswise.

    And before I forget: Thanks for Zotero !
  • adamsmith
    http://www.zotero.org/support/kb/annotation_sync
    added to documentation. Not sure where else to put this documentation-wise. It didn't really seem to fit in any of the sync documentation.
  • hagver
    An unexpected limitation of syncing should be clearly stated, then it will not do harm.
    In the knowledge base the information is too hidden and will only be seen by very few people.
    The natural place seems to be the regular sync documentation
    http://www.zotero.org/support/sync
    either underneath "Data syncing" or "Syncing in practice".
    That's a location one is bound to read.
  • djcrowley
    Hi - Does anyone have a suggestion for a tool that would provide this missing functionality? I.e. an html annotation tool that would add it's annotations directly into the file that zotero will be syncing?
  • JordiSunshine
    So, will syncing of annotations happen in the future?
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