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Can Zotero index files in their existing locations?
I was so excited about using Zotero for finally making sense of my many source files. My goal is to leave them in their current locations on my hard drive, and pull them into Zotero for the purpose of easy searching, and linking one document (such as a census) to multiple people by using collections. But I'm starting to have doubts, because I can't seem to prevent Zotero from saving duplicates of each file in the Zotero > storage folder. IS there a way to have Zotero index files in their original locations (in the folder I've dedicated to genealogy)? I'll go back through the book again but I'm worried about spending a week figuring this out, only to find that it isn't the tool for me.
You can have Zotero linking to external attachments, wherever you've stored them. If they're going to the Zotero storage folder, they are embedded, rather than linked. When you create the first entry (that you want to put into multiple folders, attach the document (census, etc.) using the Add Attachment-->Attach Link to File. The attachment will show in your Zotero library with a little chainlink on the icon to demonstrate that the document remains external to Zotero.
There is also a shortcut to drag a document or other attachment from your hard drive to its place in Zotero and linking, rather than embedding it. Drag the item from your file manager, wherever it's stored, and before you drop it where you want it in Zotero, hold down your Control & Shift keys (Cmd & Shift on Mac), then let go of your mouse. It will create the link between Zotero and the attachment.
Wherever you have created the item in Zotero, you can drag copies into as many folders as you want.
I hope I understood what you needed. Let me know if you have other questions.
Thanks,
Donna
Thanks so much for the speedy reply!
I must be doing something wrong though. Even when I hold down the Cmd & Shift keys on my Mac and move a file into Zotero, it adds a copy to the Zotero > storage folder, and if I control-click on the filename in Zotero and select "Show file", it references that copy rather than the original. It seems like it is the same if I do it the long way using Add Attachment-->Attach Link to File. I will go back over your book and experiment some more to see if I can understand this.
So sorry I didn't check the main Zotero forum before responding above. I assumed the Shift was being used, but I see a message there that says Cmd + Option. Can you give that a try?
Thanks again!
Oddly, none of the dragging methods seem to work for me, but I went back and tried the Link to File command (I think I was doing it incorrectly before), and it indexed the file in place and did not create a duplicate.
Yay! I'm encouraged that this will be a good method to adopt. Thank you for writing the book and for being available to answer questions!
