update note field in zotero item automatically when annotations change

[CaoKang-David]

Hi,
I use the bbt plugin to export bibliographic data to JSON files. After I edited the annotations in the pdf file with Zotero pdf reader, the JSON file won't update automatically if I don't right-click the selected item "add note from annotations" manually.
would you like to improve this feature so that the JSON file can be updated automatically?
ps. support ID: JXLB4CMP-refs-apse

[github-actions]

It looks like you did not upload an support log. The support log is important; it gives @retorquere your current BBT settings and a copy of the items under consideration as a test case so he can best replicate your issue, or build towards the desired behavior. Without it, @retorquere is effectively blind. Support logs are useful for both analysis and for enhancement requests; in the case of export enhancements, I need the copy of the references you have in mind.

If you did try to submit a support log, but the ID looked like D<number>, that is a Zotero debug report, which I cannot access. Please re-submit a BBT debug log by one of the methods below.

This request is much more likely than not to apply to you too @CaoKang-David, even if you think it unlikely. Please trust @retorquere when he says he will usually need one; he will more often than not just end up saying "please send a debug log". Let's just skip over the unnecesary delay this entails. Sending a debug log is very easy:

1. If your issue relates to how BBT behaves around a specific reference(s), such as citekey generation or export, select at least one of the items(s) under consideration, right-click it, and submit an BBT support log from that popup menu. If the problem is with export, please do include a sample of what you see exported, and what you expected to see exported for these references.

2. If the issue does not relate to references and is of a more general nature, generate an support log by restarting Zotero with debugging enabled (Help -> Debug Output Logging -> Restart with logging enabled), reproducing your problem, and selecting "Send Better BibTeX debug report..." from the help menu.

Once done, you will see a debug ID in red. Please post that debug id in the issue here.

Thank you!

[retorquere]

You'll need to turn on debug logging in the help menu and send a new log; without that it will only log critical errors. The only stuff in the log is errors from zoteropdftranslate.

[retorquere]

There's a decent chance Zotero just doesn't tell plugins that new annotations were added, in which case there'd be nothing I can do. But a log might tell me more.

[CaoKang-David]

Thanks for your reply.
I just resend a support log with ID: LPMGY946-apse.
my actions are as follows:

1. make annotations in pdf files.
2. right-click "extract notes from annotations" to generate notes.
3. maybe continue to make annotations in the same pdf file

the JSON file won't update automatically after step 3.
it only updates when I delete the notes from step 2 and right-click "extract notes from annotations" again.

There's a decent chance Zotero just doesn't tell plugins that new annotations were added, in which case there'd be nothing I can do. But a log might tell me more.

I think Zotero record These changes even though I didn't update notes after step 3, because the file "zotero.sqlite" was modified after step 3.

[retorquere]

Ah, I think I see it now. OK, on it.

[CaoKang-David]

Ah, I think I see it now. OK, on it.

Thanks very much!

[github-actions]

🤖 this is your friendly neighborhood build bot announcing test build 6.5.3.2498 ("JM is going to become a boat anchor soon")

Install in Zotero by downloading test build 6.5.3.2498, opening the Zotero "Tools" menu, selecting "Add-ons", open the gear menu in the top right, and select "Install Add-on From File...".

[retorquere]

Can you try build 2498?

[krusse]

I just tried build 2498, and it does not update the JSON when adding to notes.

[CaoKang-David]

I just tried build 2498, and it does not update the JSON when adding to notes.

+1, I had tried it, but it does not work appropriately

[retorquere]

Then I'll need a new debug log created after reproducing the problem.

[retorquere]

Reproducible, sorry. For me the exports update but the annotation data doesn't seem to be offered to exporters so the update will appear to have done nothing.

[FeralFlora]

Maybe the documentation / source code of the Zotero Integration plugin for Obsidian helps? The plugin is able to import annotations from Zotero with backlinks to individual annotations. Here's their templating documentation: https://github.com/mgmeyers/obsidian-zotero-integration/blob/main/docs/Templating.md

[retorquere]

The data simply isn't offered to the export translators. It is up to the Zotero devs whether or not to change this (or to change my misconception about it should that be the case).