Dalton,
Thank you for your detailed reply. I feel something, a crucial point is missing in our communication that I have been unable to communicate. My use case is as follows sequentially.
- I want to be able to use Calibre as a source for the PDF and Zotero for references for research writing. So your [3] assumption is correct. About [7] I hope it is clear that I want to use Calibre for PDFs and Zotero for references to be used in MS word.
- I want to export this from Calibre as an RIS file using the ZMI plugin.
- (Note: my starting point is not the export of .csv from my Zotero Libary, but the export of .ris from Calibre. In your response, [2] should come before [1])
- I want to import the RIS file into Zotero as links.
- (Note: I do not want to turn around and export from Zotero a CSV to be imported into Calibre unless you tell me it is necessary. I did that as according to one of your responses to MassiveAtoms member it appeared to me that is what I was supposed to do).
- (Note: If I click on "Retrieve ZKey from New Zotero Attachments (Just Imported)" after import of RIS into Zotero, and closing Zotero, nothing happens. No keys are retrieved. That is the only reason I thought I was supposed to export a CSV file from Zotero because that seems to update the ZKey and other data; in other words, agree that the [5] sequence does not make sense. I hope it is clear that I did the opposite sequence described in [5] due to the inability for retrieving ZKeys and other metadata. [6] also makes sense and I did the RIS export but the keys are not retrieved.).
- I want to use Microsoft Word and Zotero and use the citations/references from Zotero plugin of MS word.
Addressing other comments:
I did not skip the "Retrieve ZKey from New Zotero Attachments (Just Imported)" step. I always religiously click on that faithfully closing Zotero etc. No ZKeys are retrieved for me.
I wish there was a way I could show you what is going on because there seems to be a point that is being missed that I seem to be unable to communicate to you. Let me know if the use case I described above is supposed to work with the plugin. You have spent a lot of time developing this wonderful plugin and it would be great if we can clarify for once and all whether it is supposed to support this use case. Let me know how I can help.
Thank you
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaltonST
Okay, I studied the many files in the .zip that you sent me.
[1] Your exporting a .csv from your Zotero Libary and importing it into Calibre using ZMI to update all of the ZMI Zotero_* Custom Columns looks correct and proper.
[2] Your exporting a .ris from Calibre using ZMI for the identical books just imported from Zotero's .csv export file is not proper. See [5] & [6], below.
[3] If your Document Master Library is Calibre, then you move documents with their metadata from Zotero to Calibre via ZMI. You simply use Zotero as a conduit to Calibre/ZMI. Your documents stay in Calibre.
[4] If your Document Master Library is Zotero, and you simply want to use a particular Calibre ebook as a "source" for a citation or other purpose within Zotero, you do NOT import from Zotero into Calibre, but rather you export a .ris file for that particular Calibre ebook, and then import the .ris file into Zotero. You can track which Calibre ebooks are used in Zotero using ZMI to do so.
[5] Never export a .csv file for a particular Item from Zotero, then import that Item into Calibre as a new ebook using ZMI, and then turn around and export that new Calibre ebook to a .ris file that is subsequently imported as a new Item into Zotero. That makes no sense.
[6] Either import into Calibre using a .csv, or export from Calibre as a .ris, but do not do both for the identical document/item/ebook.
[7] You need to make a strategic determination as to the use of Zotero and Calibre in your document/item/ebook ecosystem based on the previous points.
Other comments:
You did not provide a screen snip of the "ZMI: Export RIS Tab" at the bottom where the pushbutton named "Retrieve ZKey from New Zotero Attachments (Just Imported)" is positioned for use immediately after the "Export RIS File ...." pushbuttons. So, I must assume that you skipped that step. Hover your mouse over that pushbutton to read its ToolTips.
If you do not Retrieve the ZKey (which was just created in Zotero for the RIS File item), then ZMI will not be able to connect the new .ris Item in Zotero with the Calibre ebook metadata that was just exported to that .ris file. If it cannot connect the two, then it cannot "Compare Collections" in the "ZMI: Comparison Tab". Matching a Calibre ebook to a Zotero Item is all about matching ZKeys.
Regarding the "ZMI: Comparison Tab", don't forget to push the various pushbuttons at the top so the Collections in Zotero are refreshed in Calibre in the ZCollection Custom Column. Refer to the ToolTips. The Collections in Calibre are "refreshed" every time you click the appropriate pushbutton in the "ZMI: Comparison Tab". So, if you change a Zotero Item's Collection, the new Collection value will be updated by ZMI in Calibre the next time you do a Compare by first pushing the top pushbuttons and clicking the Collection dropdown list.
All of the Z* Custom Columns in your Calibre "Zotero" Library must be set to be visible. It is also trivial to "Show" a hidden Custom Column in your Calibre Library by right-clicking your mouse in the Library View header row, and selecting "Show". The "View Manager" Plugin is excellent for that purpose too, plus has many other functions and features that ease the use of ZMI.
DaltonST
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