importing / exporting my library

zachwhalen
Hello,

I was just trying to sync my libraries on two computers, and I had a problem. Both are using 1.0.1.

Steps to produce problem:
1 - export library, Zotero RDF format, no notes or files.
2 - upload to a server, download on new computer
3 - import into Zotero:

Error message: An error ocured while trying to import the selected file. Please ensure that the file is valid and try again.

I'm going to try looking through the RDF to see if I can tell where it's getting tripped up.
  • dstillman
    If you don't mind, could you send us the RDF file at support@zot.....org? Thanks.
  • zachwhalen
    No problem, I just sent it.

    I tried looking at the RDF myself, but nothing stuck out to me -- mainly because I wasn't sure what I was looking for. I didn't see any parsing errors, at any rate.
  • arossman
    OK, here is my solution to the "import/export", "use on multiple computers" and "multiple database" problems. Not exactly elegant, but is simple and works. (Note, I have used this successfully on Windows, Mac and Linux computers and can share between all three platforms)
    First, I setup a "Zotero" directory/folder under Documents, then establish subfolders for each subject/topic/database. Then open Zotero within FireFox. Open Actions --> Preferences and select the Advanced tab. For Storage Location, select Custom and enter (or browse to) a subfolder from above. Firefox will require you to shutdown and restart. Now you'll have a blank database for your subject (you could easily copy/move the contents of the default Zotero directory under the FireFox profile if you already have references you want to keep).
    To switch to another database, change the storage location preference to another subfolder and restart FireFox.
    Now, to share the database with another computer or user, just zip the entire subfolder (for one topic) or the entire Zotero folder (for all topics). Copying the entire database ensures that the reference ID's (which are used in Word, OpenOffice, etc.) do not change. NEVER import/export.
    Have been using this approach all semester to synchronize databases between 4 computers in Chicago and Iowa.
    Notes:
    - The reason for moving the storage location to your main Documents folder is to allow multiple subfolders and to ease locating for sharing.
    - If you save a lot of web pages, or add files to your bibliography entries (PDF, etc.) then the resulting Zip file can get large. May need an alternate means of transport other than email.
  • algemmell
    I have a variant on the problem that is being discussed here, and am interested in arossman's strategy, though I am not sure if it will solve my particular problem.
    I have built up a large Zotero database (> 4000 entries). I want to create a subset of this database tailored to the needs of students taking a university course which I will shortly be teaching, but I would like to export this subset as a Zotero database in its own right, so that the students can use it in place of the normal sheets of paper with key references listed. I am looking at the practicality of asking students to buy a USB memory stick, preloaded with the portable version of Firefox plus Zotero, together with the course reference database which I would prepare. They can then use this to take notes on references they have been provided with, but will also allow them to build up further collections of references of their own to support course projects, essay requirements etc.
    The question is therefore - is there a simple way to create a subset of a Zotero database which can then be imported imported another installation of Zotero and function as the main (My Library) collection there?
  • noksagt
    It might be nice to just export this & place it on the web somewhere, so that the students can use a bibliography manager of their choice (including their own personal copy of Firefox+Zotero if they do not wish to buy a USB stick from you).

    It is relatively easy to export citation data for a subset of the database--just select the references you want & export. If you want to make this agnostic, I'd either host this on a third party reference manager online or would create an HTML bibliography using your preferred citation style (including embedded COinS that will allow Zotero to scrape the info) & I'd additionally export (and link) to RIS, BibTeX, and perhaps Zotero RDF (if you wanted to encourage use of Zotero & wished to preserve as much info as possible).

    If this isn't sufficient & you are stuck on paring down your database to include with a copy of firefox, backup your Zotero data directory (and confirm the backup works), and then delete the entries you don't want. The new database will have all of the information you could possibly wish the students to have & you can then reinstate the backup to get your full database back.
  • algemmell
    I am not sure about the mechanics of exporting references and placing the result on a website so that students can use Zotero or similar to capture the references, particularly as the University uses WebCT for class websites. I am sufficiently impressed with Zotero that I would like to persuade students to use it for their own research, and I had hoped that I could use my course bibliography as a platform to start them using it.

    One problem that I see at present with paring down the entries I don't want is that it would be a huge task to take out thousands of entries individually. If I try to remove the individual collection folders within the library, they can be deleted rapidly, but the My Library collection will still contain all the original entries. What I really need is a quick way of reducing the My Library collection so that it contains only those entries which are in the subcollection folders associated with the specific course material.
  • algemmell
    I have now encountered a problem when trying to backup my Zotero bibliography onto a USB memory stick. I have located the zotero folder within the Firefox structure as per the Zotero User Guide, and have Firefox 2.0.0.11 portable version on the memory stick along with Zotero 1.0.2. I then copied the folder from the desktop computer onto the memory stick, again exactly as per the User Guide. All went well for over an hour, but then the transfer crashed with a message saying that 'css_gen_v01 was damaged or corrupt'. What is this file and how do I repair it?

    I am running the desktop system on Windows XP . I did a search for 'css_gen_v01' and found 78 instances of it at various locations in my C: drive, 13 of them at locations within the Zotero folder. How can I test which of them is faulty? Should I uninstall Firefox and Zotero, and then reinstall them? I am reluctant to do that before I can get a backup of the database safely and without any corruption.
  • noksagt
    edited January 17, 2008
    am not sure about the mechanics of exporting references and placing the result on a website so that students can use Zotero or similar to capture the references, particularly as the University uses WebCT for class websites.
    If you are unable to find some private place to post it, you can always use a third party public site (CiteULike, Connotea, refbase, etc.).
    One problem that I see at present with paring down the entries I don't want is that it would be a huge task to take out thousands of entries individually. If I try to remove the individual collection folders within the library, they can be deleted rapidly, but the My Library collection will still contain all the original entries. What I really need is a quick way of reducing the My Library collection so that it contains only those entries which are in the subcollection folders associated with the specific course material.
    You can select a collection that you wish to get rid of in the left column, select all entries in that connection in the middle pane & choose "Delete selected items from library" & then remove the collection.
    All went well for over an hour, but then the transfer crashed with a message saying that 'css_gen_v01 was damaged or corrupt'. What is this file and how do I repair it?
    Over an hour is a LONG time for just copying to USB...How much data are you copying? 'css_gen_v01' SOUNDS like a css file that was saved as part of a snapshot. I think I have files like that on snapshots saved from Elesvier journals. If this is the case, it isn't something that needs to be fixed. It instead may point to a problem in either the drive you're copying from or copying to (consistent with those SLOW speeds). Or perhaps you have some other program accessing the data?
    How can I test which of them is faulty?
    If you think only one of these files is bad, you can just try to copy each one individually. But you might not be able to do anything once you find the broken one.
  • algemmell
    I am not sure of the exact size of the database I have been trying to copy to USB, but it contains some 4.5 thousand entries, of which about 4000 were imported from Biblioscape in RIS format. The Zotero folder as a whole that I am trying to copy is 847Mb (795Mb on disc), while the Storage folder within the Zotero one is 509 Mb (564 Mb on disc). Because of the age of the computer I am working with, I am having to copy to memory stick through a USB 1 port, and I had been assuming that the slow data transfer through such a port was the reason for the long copying times.

    With respect to the 'css_gen_v01' problem, I have indeed got a number of Elsevier journal entries in the database, so that may be the root of the problem. I would like to find the broken one if I can, and remove it from the database, otherwise the data transfer would seem likely to crash every time the 'culprit' is included in an attempted backup, and give the size of the database, backups are becoming increasingly vital. I do however back up the whole system about once a week using Acronis True Image, so I am protected to some degree against major data loss.
  • Carolina Diaz
    i am new to zotero, and i am just trying to import my journal library from my computer to zotero library. When I select to add, it seems that I have to add one by one. No way, my library is quite big.
    Thanks for any help in advance
    carolina
  • noksagt
    @Carolina

    Zotero can import multiple items stored in a single file. Please refer to the documentation:
    http://www.zotero.org/support/getting_stuff_into_your_library#importing_records_from_other_reference_tools

    If you have troubles, start a new thread & include things like: where is your journal library stored & how did you export it and if you get any errors on import.
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