check known translator issues

bejacobs
I am experiencing the same problems as described in the link:
http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/12502/

- the yellow map icon listing different search results does not work (in google scholar or amazon list with books) but when clicking on a specific paper or book, i can click on the the blue book or paper icon and the citation is downloaded.

BUT

at the same time, metadata from pdf stopped working.. So I guess the two problems are related.

The quick fix offered by ajlyon (May 1st 2010) was

"This was due to a very small change in the search results page format. Please go to http://github.com/ajlyon/zotero-bits/raw/master/Google%20Scholar.js and save the file to the translators directory of your Zotero data directory (http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data)."

Now, I have tried this but I am not sure I did it the correct way. Since the link offered is not really a file (at least my computer gives me a long list of code), I pressed save page as.. called it Google Schollar.jv and saved it in the translator folder. I was asked to change the original, which I did... but no results.

Thanks for the help,
Bert
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  • adamsmith
    1. Always provide sample URLs for failing translators

    2. Follow these steps one by one:
    http://www.zotero.org/support/troubleshooting_translator_issues
    note the part about Report ID below 9.

    3. The current google scholar translator is up to date. So that step isn't necessary anymore.
    For similar situations in the future, instead of following the link, use "save-link-as..."
  • bejacobs
    examples of problems:
    http://scholar.google.be/scholar?q=good+enough+governance&hl=en&btnG=Search&as_sdt=2001&as_sdtp=on

    or

    http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=bottom+billion&x=0&y=0

    The yellow map folder does display, but the list with boxes to check does not appear anymore. But, since it happens on multiple websites, it I guess it is a general problem, not an issue with the translator of google scholar specifically.

    When I go to a specific object, such as http://www.amazon.com/Bottom-Billion-Poorest-Countries-Failing/dp/0195373383/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290001145&sr=8-1, then I am able to download the citation.

    But at the same time, retrieve metadata stoped working. I can select it and the search window will start, but I always get a red X after a few seconds, even for papers that are quite important and can easily be retrieved with Zotero on other computers.

    I have removed all add ons exept Zotero, then I removed Zotero too, then I removed and reinstalled Firefox.

    I have now the newest version of Firefox, without extra add ons, and a new instalation of Zotero...
    But the problem remains
  • adamsmith
    The Retrieve Metadata problem is separate - start a new thread.
    I can reproduce the error you report on those two links.
    To make sure we're on the same page, try this
    http://scholar.google.com/scholar?sourceid=mozclient&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&q=thelen
    which does work for me.

    Specifically, GS fails on the link above with;
    [JavaScript Error: "translator called select items with no items" {file: "file:///home/sebastian/.mozilla/firefox/wkxw8okh.default/zotero/translators/Google%20Scholar.js" line: 0}]

    Amazon seems to fail on all search lists with
    [JavaScript Error: "TypeError: elmt is null" {file: "file:///home/sebastian/.mozilla/firefox/wkxw8okh.default/zotero/translators/Amazon.com.js" line: 0}]

    A Report ID for both problems is:
    701094420
  • dr.hernandez
    I am having serious problems with Google Scholar as I keep getting Could Not Save error. I have tried searching the Library of Congress and no problems with that, so it appears peculiar to Google Scholar. Here is the web address I have tried on Scholar:

    http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=facebook&hl=en&btnG=Search&as_sdt=2001&as_sdtp=on

    I tried the update suggestion and no soap. Any ideas on how to fix or when this might be fiexed?
  • bejacobs
    No, I could not open your link either

    The problem seems to be broader than I thought... On of my collegues still is able to work without problems, but two others are having exactly the same problems. So far problems appeared in google scholar and amazon.

    But they also have the same metadata issues
  • dr.hernandez
    I tried Amazon as well and it too returns the same Could Not Save error. Hope this is fixed soon. My students use Google Scholar often and this will certainly cause them problems also.
  • adamsmith
    oh sorry - of course metadata is the same issue, I didn't think that through. But it's just a symptom: Since retrieve metadata queries google scholar, it will fail if google scholar fails.
    So the problem here is the google scholar translator that has started to fail in unpredictable ways. My suspicion would be that Amazon is a separate issue.
  • dr.hernandez
    I just did a search from within my university library and it Zotero is working fine within that venue. My problem continues to be with Google Scholar. I did notice that Google Scholar change slightly this morning but I don't know if that is a web site change or something more fundamental. In any case it is pretty clear that the translators for Google Scholar and Amazon are not working properly.
  • bejacobs
    same problem with web of science...
  • adamsmith
    no, different translator problems are not the same thing, just because they look similar.
  • dr.hernandez
    Any word on a fix?
  • ajlyon
    I had better get on this before I lose my reputation for fast fixes. I will take a look this evening (in my time zone, that means in the next few hours).
  • ajlyon
    Try going to the Google Scholar preferences and setting: "Show links to import citations into" to BibTeX.

    It looks like the logic for demanding BibTeX output might not be working.
  • adamsmith
    that does it for me - but that's a bit unsatisfactory, no?
  • ajlyon
    It is unsatisfactory, but it's a start. The next step is to figure out why that stopped working.
  • ajlyon
    Please go to http://github.com/ajlyon/zotero-bits/raw/master/Google Scholar.js and save the file to the translators directory of your Zotero data directory (http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data).

    Reload the page and should start working again. If this works for you, please post here.
  • ajlyon
    edited November 17, 2010
    @bejacobs: Are you using the Zotero 2.1 beta? (Specifically 2.1b2?)

    [This is in reference to the Amazon search results not working.]
  • adamsmith
    Amazon doesn't work for me on 2.0.9
  • ajlyon
    edited November 17, 2010
    Yeah-- I misread the error message. Fixed now-- just a small change.

    Please go to http://github.com/ajlyon/zotero-bits/raw/master/Amazon.com.js and save the file to the translators directory of your Zotero data directory (http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data).

    Reload the page and it should start working again. If this works for you, please post here.
  • ajlyon
    Google Scholar is still not fixed, but setting the preferences as described above should work, even without installing an updated translator.
  • ajlyon
    Please go to http://github.com/ajlyon/zotero-bits/raw/master/Google Scholar.js and save the file to the translators directory of your Zotero data directory (http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data).

    This time I really think it is fixed. It will set your actual Scholar preferences so that it shows BibTeX links all the time -- if that's a problem, it would be possible to make it restore your preference after each request, but that seems like unnecessary complexity. Furthermore, the translator is faster when BibTeX links are shown.
  • fbennett
    Thanks, Avram! Confirming that it works here too (Ubuntu 10.10, Firefox 3.6.12, Zotero 2.1b2).
  • ajlyon
    Amazon and Google Scholar fixed in the repository (https://www.zotero.org/trac/changeset/7342). Dan, can you push these high-visibility translators?
  • 101james
    Last week Zotero was working on my system smoothly: I could download the references from multiple sites to the database without problems. This week I'm getting multiple problems. Sorry - if the language is not technical - but hopefully I can communicate the problems.

    I've had specific problems with Emerald e.g.,
    http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=855916&show=abstract (needed? "citation_doi" content="10.1108/EUM0000000006098")
    This generates creates an error message 'could not save item'. In the address bar I see a folder icon. Hovering over this shows: 'save to Zotero (DOI)'.

    However other journal will work e.g.,
    http://jsr.sagepub.com/content/1/1/18.short
    This uploads without problem to my data base (as in previous weeks).

    Another problem is the folder icon in the address bar. It appears e.g.,
    http://scholar.google.com.sg/scholar?hl=en&q=service+orientation+antecedents+outcomes+implications+for+hospitality+research&btnG=Search&as_sdt=2000&as_ylo=&as_vis=0
    Hovering over it shows: 'Save to Zotero... (Google Scholar)'
    However, if I click on it I get the 'cannot save item' - in the Zotero window. Previously I would get a popup window so I could select items for import. This does not appear.

    I've gone to: http://www.zotero.org/support/troubleshooting_translator_issues
    and specifically:
    1. latest version of Zotero [running the latest beta version]
    2. Make sure you have the latest version of Firefox.[3.6.12]
    3. Make sure you have the latest available translators by clicking “Update now” [Done]
    4. If you see a Zotero icon in the Firefox address bar when viewing a supported web page, hover your cursor over the icon. [Details above]
    5. Check Known Translator Issues [Done]
    6. If you are using Firefox 3.5, “Accept third-party cookies” [New version & checked]
    7. If you are having chronic problems getting Zotero to work across multiple sites, you may have an extension conflict. [Does not seem to apply. I've reinstalled Zotero plugin for the program and MS Word addin]
    8. If you don't see the address bar icon on any supported sites (Amazon, NYTimes), there may have been a problem loading translators. [As above. Rebooted computer. Restart Firefox. Cleaned cache.]
    9. In rare cases where the address bar icon ... [Not yet tried - since I've not edited the translators]

    Please can you suggest a next step. For me this ability to load references with a few clicks is a "killer" part of Zotero! Thanks.
  • fbennett
    edited November 18, 2010
    101james: Re your Google Scholar issue, did you read this thread before posting? (ajlyon has asked that the updated Google Scholar and Amazon translators be pushed to clients; they won't be installed in response to an "Update translators" button click until that's done.)
  • adamsmith
    For the google scholar issue read through this thread for a solution - though this will also fix itself automatically within a short time.

    For the Emerald issue: There is no working emerald translator - Zotero picks up the DOIs for the articles and that sometimes fails for a variety of reasons - this one actually works for me so this might have been a temporary problem with the DOI lookup - try again. If this continues to fail, start a new thread and provide an Error Report ID after a failed attempt.
  • ajlyon
    The Emerald issue actually exposes a flaw in our DOI detection. I'm working on a fix for it. In the meantime, you can use the Add Item by Identifier button in the Zotero pane (the "magic wand" button) to add the article by DOI automatically.

    In the future, please open new threads for translator issues that are for different sites-- translator issues are almost always site-specific.
  • ajlyon
    @adamsmith: You mean that you are not getting an error when you click on the folder icon on the Emerald page? I'm getting:
    Which looks like this is being misparsed:
    $.getJSON("http://www.deepdyve.com/rental-link?docId=10.1108/EUM0000000006098&fieldName=journal_doi&journal=0887-6045&affiliateId=emerald&format=jsonp&callback=?", function(data) {
  • adamsmith
    I get no error and it imports fine. As does the DOI by itself -
    only possible difference I can think of is that I see the emerald site in a proxied version - (but the translator is DOI for me, too).
  • 101james
    Thanks for the feedback. The google scholar fix will be a big help. It looks like the Emerald one is more involved. It was working and then stopped.
    Are these bugs likely to get erradicated over time? Apologies if this sounds like an impatient user. At least is sets expectations where getting down to literature work. Many thanks.
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