Upgrade StorageStyle creation as a noob
I'm pretty new to Zotero but have a background in webdesign, PHP and MySQL.
I'm a medical doctor and contributor to radiopaedia.org for which I've just written a new zotero style to handle the referencing of the articles.
I just hoped to make some comments about the process of learning how to create a new style and point out some areas on the website that I think could be improved.
1.
http://www.zotero.org/styles
The text at the bottom which is referenced as help for people who want to create new styles, doesn't really give all that much information.
Get Involved
* Creating Citation Styles
* Active style-related Trac tickets
* CSLs via Trac
* CSLs via Subversion
*
o Commit access is open to all users with SVN/Trac accounts.
o New and updated styles automatically become dev styles and will have "(dev)" appended to their titles.
o New styles should use URIs in the <id> element of the form http://www.zotero.org/styles/style-name, without an extension. The filename itself should be style-name.csl.
o Manually modifying the value of the <updated> element is not necessary. A new timestamp will be generated automatically.
o After committing a style, start a new Import/Export thread in the Zotero forums asking for feedback and pointing users to this page.
COMMENT I've used svn before but never trac... it took me a long time to realise that I couldn't actually commit via trac (if I can, I didn't find it). So, a page that actually hand-holds a user through the process of their first commit would be handy.
2.
http://www.zotero.org/support/dev/creating_citation_styles
SECTION: XML Validation
There are references to several handy validators, but it wasn't until I found this forum post that I actually realised how validator.nu worked...
http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/6122/tweaks-to-an-existing-style/
"I just found an open source online XML validation service that supports both RELAX NG compact and XML syntax which may be of interest (it's the first I've come across):
http://validator.nu/
Selecting a style (e.g. https://www.zotero.org/trac/export/4227/csl/apa.csl), the CSL schema (either http://xbiblio.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/xbiblio/csl/schema/trunk/csl.rnc or csl.rng) and checking the option "Be lax about HTTP Content-Type" does the trick. "
So, all in all, I found it quite a difficult process to submit my first style.
I hope that we can use this post to improve the process for new users and make zotero even better: it's amazing!
Jeremy
I'm a medical doctor and contributor to radiopaedia.org for which I've just written a new zotero style to handle the referencing of the articles.
I just hoped to make some comments about the process of learning how to create a new style and point out some areas on the website that I think could be improved.
1.
http://www.zotero.org/styles
The text at the bottom which is referenced as help for people who want to create new styles, doesn't really give all that much information.
Get Involved
* Creating Citation Styles
* Active style-related Trac tickets
* CSLs via Trac
* CSLs via Subversion
*
o Commit access is open to all users with SVN/Trac accounts.
o New and updated styles automatically become dev styles and will have "(dev)" appended to their titles.
o New styles should use URIs in the <id> element of the form http://www.zotero.org/styles/style-name, without an extension. The filename itself should be style-name.csl.
o Manually modifying the value of the <updated> element is not necessary. A new timestamp will be generated automatically.
o After committing a style, start a new Import/Export thread in the Zotero forums asking for feedback and pointing users to this page.
COMMENT I've used svn before but never trac... it took me a long time to realise that I couldn't actually commit via trac (if I can, I didn't find it). So, a page that actually hand-holds a user through the process of their first commit would be handy.
2.
http://www.zotero.org/support/dev/creating_citation_styles
SECTION: XML Validation
There are references to several handy validators, but it wasn't until I found this forum post that I actually realised how validator.nu worked...
http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/6122/tweaks-to-an-existing-style/
"I just found an open source online XML validation service that supports both RELAX NG compact and XML syntax which may be of interest (it's the first I've come across):
http://validator.nu/
Selecting a style (e.g. https://www.zotero.org/trac/export/4227/csl/apa.csl), the CSL schema (either http://xbiblio.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/xbiblio/csl/schema/trunk/csl.rnc or csl.rng) and checking the option "Be lax about HTTP Content-Type" does the trick. "
So, all in all, I found it quite a difficult process to submit my first style.
I hope that we can use this post to improve the process for new users and make zotero even better: it's amazing!
Jeremy
I think it would be an improvement if all the instructions at the bottom of the Style Repository page would be moved to the wiki (e.g. at http://www.zotero.org/support/dev/creating_citation_styles#the_zotero_style_repository). The current text is hard to find (there is no indication that there is content at the bottom of the repository page), and (I think) a bit too concise/difficult for most users anyway. At the top of the page a link to the wiki could be given (this text could be inserted before "Default Styles"), maybe together with a short explanation of the purpose of the page and a mention of the licensing (all styles hosted in the repository are made available with the permission to freely use, copy and redistribute). E.g.:
----
Zotero Style Repository
This repository hosts CSL styles [link to CSL] for use with Zotero and other CSL-compatible applications. All styles hosted here can be freely used, copied and redistributed. More information on the style repository (such as how to create and contribute new styles) can be found here [link wiki].
Default Styles
----
For 2) I will take a look at the wiki to see if I can clarify things a bit.
Initial suggestions for the Qs most FA:
What Style should I use?
How do I change to a different style?
The journal I want is not listed, what should I do?
I've found a mistake in a style?
I'm a publisher/editor and I want to create my own style?
How do I get the style in the correct font for my document?
I'm getting first names or initials in the citations?
Can I use special formatting like extra lines, italic and bold?
-------
Some of these can just link to the existing requesting_styles or creating_citation_styles page. A link to the CSL quick start guide might also be helpful.
Any other suggestions? If someone could set up a page on the Wiki in an appropriate spot, then we could all have a go at drafting some simple answers with links.
I'm also "noob" about submitting style. I tried to submit it but it seems I need a account for Trac. Does the process is automatic or it should be human-approved? It's something like 5 days and I never receive any email about that.
It seems easier to just post my style on forum to be added by someone else...
Thanks
Mel