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We’re in the process of updating the documentation for Zotero 5.0. Some documentation may be outdated in the meantime. Thanks for your understanding.

For changes in Zotero 3.0 releases, see the 3.0 changelog.

Changes in 2.1.10 (September 4, 2011)

  • Fixed Word for Windows integration, broken in 2.1.9

Changes in 2.1.9 (September 3, 2011)

Functionality changed or added

  • Allow “Create Parent Item from Selected Item” for PDFs
  • Detect all issues in database integrity check that DB Repair Tool fixes
  • Added ISI to automatically imported file types

Bugs fixed

  • Fixed opening of Zotero 3.0 databases
  • Sync fixes
    • Fixed random sync errors with large transfers
    • Fixed at least one cause of “'[num]' is not a valid field for type [num]” sync error
    • Skip and log too-long filenames on Linux (mostly advertising files)
    • Fixed “Zotero.Libraries.getGroupIDFromLibraryID” is not a function error
  • Don't auto-associate proxy domains if an HTTP error code is received
  • Fixed saving authors from COinS
  • Notes were copied as raw HTML if more than one empty paragraph
  • Fixed some UI issues in preferences
  • Don't allow unreasonable window positions for word processor integration dialogs
  • Fixed NS_ERROR_MALFORMED_URI saving from some sites via proxy
  • Fixed Zotero startup breakage in Firefox nightlies
  • Fixed snapshot saving of application/xhtml+xml
  • Fixed Author misordering in COinS when rft.au and rft.aulast combine
  • Miscellaneous other fixes

Developer-specific changes/fixes

  • Translator architecture changes (details)
  • Updated citeproc-js to 1.0.202
  • Merge XPath utilities, Z/ZU shortcuts, and DOMParser fix
  • Deprecated Zotero.JSON

Changes in 2.1.8 (June 14, 2011)

Bugs fixed

  • Fixed cases of unending sync icon spinning
  • Allow CSL 1.0 dependent styles to reference CSL 0.8 parents, and vice versa
  • Parse mm/yyyy properly on non-US systems
  • Updated citeproc-js to 1.0.195
  • Fixed gradients in collection/item lists on OS X

Changes in 2.1.7 (June 3, 2011)

Functionality changed or added

  • Firefox 5 compatibility
  • Switched code license from GPLv3 to Affero GPL
  • Clicking the Toggle Tab Mode button when the Zotero tab is the only tab open will now open the home page
  • Changed creator format in BibTeX export, per http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/17911

Bugs fixed

  • Fixed “win.ZoteroPane.document is undefined” when Zotero was set to start in tab mode and the Zotero tab had not yet been selected
  • Fixed installation of dependent styles from the new Zotero styles page
  • Miscellaneous bibliographic output and word processor integration fixes
    • Updated citeproc-js to 1.0.176
  • Sync issues
    • Don't re-upload all downloaded data after a failed initial upload
    • On sync conflicts, display only one alert about auto-merged objects per object type, and log the rest to the Error Console
    • Prevent a couple cases of erroneous full syncs due to deleted local items
    • Fixed occasional “DAV:href '/zotero' does not begin with path '/zotero/'” error on opening Zotero pane with WebDAV syncing enabled
    • Fixed potential WebDAV error on Restore to Zotero Server even if WebDAV wasn't selected
  • Fixed (cosmetic) duplication of standalone items in UI after dragging to another item below it in the items list
  • Fixed excessive database activity when dragging a child note to another parent
  • Fixed various platform-specific toolbar and add-on bar UI issues
  • Fixed white bar above add-on bar on Windows if Zotero was started maximized
  • Dragged notes containing empty paragraphs were copied as HTML markup
  • A custom style with invalid XML would prevent all installed styles from loading
  • Fixed selection of single top-level item after site translation
  • Show proper file-access-denied message on Windows
  • Fixed XML parsing errors on some imported notes in generated reports
  • Strip tabs from filenames
  • Don't attempt to run regular expressions on very long URIs to fix incompatibility with Update Scanner add-on

Changes in 2.1.6 (April 14, 2011)

Functionality changed or added

  • Show progress bar over Zotero pane while saving items to prevent interruption
  • Embed COinS in HTML bibliographies

Bugs fixed

  • Sync conflict resolution
    • Fixed erroneous conflicts due to encoded XML entities
    • Fixed erroneous file sync conflicts
  • Fixed 'Error in getField: term “[n]” does not exist' word processor plugin error
  • Miscellaneous bibliographic output fixes
  • More helpful message for all file access errors during syncing
  • Prevent toolbar from disappearing on pages with toolbars disabled
  • Fixed parsing of MM/YYYY dates
  • Fixed date-based sorting in reports
  • Fixed erroneous HTML entities in note text copied via web page context menu
  • Don't strip 'cite' attribute from <blockquote> (used by browser pane context menu options to specify the source URL)

Developer-specific changes/fixes

  • Updated citeproc-js to 1.0.148
  • Map recipient, interviewer, and composer to CSL

Changes in 2.1.5 (April 3, 2011)

  • Update to citeproc-js 1.0.143
  • Sort translators alphabetically in export dialog

Changes in 2.1.4 (April 2, 2011)

  • Version number fix

Changes in 2.1.3 (April 1, 2011)

Functionality changed or added

  • Upgrade styles with the same title instead of offering to install a second style with the same title
  • More sophisticated word processor plugin version checking

Bugs fixed

  • Fixed integration hang on Firefox 3.6
  • Fixed note saving in external window if note is selected in items list
  • Fixed missing export options for BibTeX and RIS
  • Fixed “too much recursion” during translation
  • Miscellaneous bibliographic output fixes

Developer-specific changes/fixes

  • Updated citeproc-js to 1.0.140

Changes in 2.1.2 (March 30, 2011)

Functionality changed or added

  • Recognize .csl.txt files as CSL files

Bugs fixed

  • Fixed error upgrading directly from Zotero 1.0
  • Word processor integration and bibliographic output
    • Fixed some causes of hangs
    • Better error message on corrupt document field
    • Fixed date handling issues
    • Fixed citations appearing after a bibliography
    • Be less aggressive about resizing Add Citation dialog
    • Various bugs in citation/bibliography generation
  • Sync
    • Fixed some causes of erroneous conflicts
    • Properly update sync icon and file sync progress bar in tab mode
  • Locate menu
    • Fixed empty menu on item with invalid URI
    • Fixed doubled separators
  • UI issues
    • Fixed closing of parent items on various edits
    • Tab key was skipping title and creator fields in Firefox 4
    • Fixed loss of items list focus when navigating with arrow keys after shift-tabbing out of item pane
    • Fixed selection issues switching between pane and tab
  • Don't ignore selected export character set
  • Preserve multiple whitespaces in notes when viewing outside of Zotero
  • Make sure notes get saved when switching quickly to another item
  • Don't try to proxy doubleclick.net
  • Fixed “XML.toXMLString is not defined”

Developer-specific changes/fixes

  • Updated citeproc-js to 1.0.136
  • Fixed cslpreview.xul

Changes in 2.1.1 (March 19, 2011)

Bugs fixed:

  • Fixed word processor integration hang for Firefox 3.6 MacWord users
  • Fixed error loading preferences in Estonian locale
  • Fixed recognition of non-English months in Date field in non-English locales

Changes in 2.1 Final (March 18, 2011)

See the main 2.1 page for an overview of changes since Zotero 2.0.

Bugs fixed:

  • Fix “val.indexOf is not a function” loading/syncing attachments with all-numeric titles
  • Prevent erroneous note conflicts from imported Windows newlines

Changes in 2.1 Release Candidate 3 (March 17, 2011)

Bugs fixed:

  • Skip files in imports with bad URIs
  • Fix failure importing large files
  • Timeline
    • Group library support
    • Fixed Date Published
  • Support CSL 1.0 dependent styles
  • Properly close files following translator page detection
  • Fix 'false' Quick Copy output with styles without bibliographies

Developer-specific changes/fixes

  • Updated citeproc-js to 1.0.125

Changes in 2.1 Release Candidate 2 (March 9, 2011)

Bugs fixed:

  • Fixed UI persistence issues with Zotero tab mode
  • Fixed tag selector in Zotero tab
  • Better error for file sync login failure
  • Prevent screen overflow in collection-item sync conflict message
  • Tweaked appearance on Windows and Linux

Developer-specific changes/fixes

  • Updated citeproc-js to 1.0.123

Changes in 2.1 Release Candidate 1 (March 4, 2011)

Functionality changed or added:

  • Always favor PDF attachments over non-PDF attachments when viewing item
  • PDFs with extended characters are now indexed
  • Removed tag conflict pop-up
  • Added view options to item context menu
  • Allow “View Online” for file:// URIs in attachments
  • Display “Numéro (périodique)” for Issue search condition in French localization

Bugs fixed:

  • Syncing
    • Fixed sync icon spinning in Zotero tab
    • Automatically correct invalid timestamps on sync error
    • Catch a sync error involving file.lastModified
  • Dragging a file into the Zotero tab in Firefox 3.6 caused Firefox to try to load the file
  • Fixed broken Quick Copy export
  • Fixed dragging issues
  • Bring integration windows to foreground on Windows
  • Fixed “citations is undefined” error
  • Fixed broken “Reset Translators” and “Reset Styles” in the prefs
  • Fixed messy date values for certain item types on export
  • Custom toolbars weren't displayed when Zotero was enabled
  • Fixed Zotero crash if last collection before a separator was deleted

Developer-specific changes/fixes

  • Updated citeproc-js to 1.0.120

Changes in 2.1 Beta 7 (February 15, 2011)

Functionality changed or added:

  • Added Unfiled search condition
    • Right-click on a library and choose “Show Unfiled Items” to add an “Unfiled Items” virtual saved search to that library.
    • Displayed by default in personal libraries
    • Can be removed via right-click or Backspace/Delete
  • Locate menu tweaks
    • Includes ability to open files externally even if a plugin is present and internally even if launchNonNativeFiles is true
  • UI tweaks
  • Prompt before saving items via RIS/Refer
  • Generate a citation list when using the “Create Bibliography” context menu options if the selected style does not define a bibliography
  • Display title for civil law case items using Short Title field (details)

Bugs fixed:

  • Restored “Show File” functionality (available in Locate menu)
  • In some cases, automatic tags were saved even if pref was disabled
  • Metadata pane didn't scroll down when tabbing between fields
  • Removed extra whitespace in some HTML bibliographies
  • Don't show “Create New Item from Current Page” in tab view

Developer-specific changes/fixes

  • Updated citeproc-js to 1.0.113
  • Restored live updating in csledit.xul

Changes in 2.1 Beta 6 (February 10, 2011)

Functionality changed or added:

  • Zotero as a tab
    • Full-screen mode button now toggles between Zotero pane and Zotero tab
    • Creates an app tab in Firefox 4
    • Can set default mode in Zotero preferences
  • Customizable Locate menu
  • Site translator architecture improvements
    • Significantly faster saving of multiple items
    • Multi-item saves are now all-or-nothing
      • If an error occurs, no items will be imported, preventing partial imports
  • Firefox 4.0b11 compatibility
  • Use determinate progress bars for import/export
  • Removed Full Sync option from preferences

Bugs fixed:

  • Import fixes
    • Fixed automatic import based on MIME type
    • Fixed MODS breakage on Firefox 4
    • Fixed import failure on certain attachments
    • Fixed potential import/exports errors in Firefox 3.6
    • Fixed XML errors on very large files
  • Fixed infinite sync spinning due to “stack script space quota is exhausted” error in < Firefox 4
  • Initial item drag after Firefox restart was broken if a bibliography was selected as the default Quick Copy format
  • Fixed window resizing in word processor plugins
  • Fixed issue with dependent styles
  • Don't throw an error if a bibliography locale isn't found

Developer-specific changes/fixes

  • Updated citeproc-js to 1.0.110
  • Exposed DOMParser to translator sandbox

Changes in 2.1 Beta 5 (January 27, 2011)

Functionality changed or added:

  • Added support for Zotero as a separate tab
    • Currently only via loading chrome://zotero/content/tab.xul
  • Adjusted twisty appearance on OS X

Bugs fixed:

  • Fixed broken import/export
  • Fixed an issue retrieving multiple items from Google Scholar
  • Fixed prompt after restart on Restore from Zotero Server

Developer-specific changes/fixes

  • Updated citeproc-js to 1.0.99

Changes in 2.1 Beta 4 (January 14, 2011)

  • Fixed an error upgrading from 2.0

Changes in 2.1 Beta 3 (January 14, 2011)

In addition to the below changes, 2.1b3 also includes many under-the-hood changes to support Zotero Standalone.

Functionality changed or added:

  • Use first names when sorting middle pane by Creator
  • Include inline CSS when generating HTML bibliographies
  • Added trash auto-empty setting to visible prefs
  • Added the Zotero icon to the add-on bar instead of the status bar in Fx4
  • Removed (unreliable) database backup on Firefox shutdown
  • Clarified some file sync error messages
  • Better handling of unwriteable Zotero data directory
  • Better handling of word processor integration errors
  • Use separate buttons for “Reset Translators” and “Reset Styles” in preferences
  • Translator updates
  • CSL locale updates

Bugs fixed:

  • Fixed XML error loading preferences in non-English locales
  • Fixed broken nn-NO locale
  • Fixed database locking after automatic backup
    • The lock was being lost, which allowed other copies of Zotero and other SQLite clients to access and potentially corrupt the database.
  • Firefox 4 fixes
    • Installation error
    • Tag selector drag-and-drop
    • Crash saving snapshots
    • Discontinuities in context menus and popups and other display glitches
  • WebDAV
    • Worked around errors on some networks
    • Fixed deleted-file purging
    • Reenabled orphaned-file purging (currently once every ten days)
    • Fixed Stop button for Verify Server
  • Tag didn't disappear on removal from item if tag selector was closed
  • Fixed drag from advanced search window
  • Relaxed type detection of PDFs to allow PDF downloading from certain sites

Developer-specific changes/fixes

  • Updated citeproc-js to 1.0.93
  • Mapped Zotero numPages to CSL number-of-pages
  • Improved OpenURL ContextObject support

Changes in 2.1 Beta 2 (November 9, 2010)

In addition to the below changes, 2.1b2 also includes all changes between Zotero 2.0.8 and 2.0.9 and many under-the-hood changes to support the upcoming Zotero Standalone.

Functionality changed or added:

  • Firefox 4 compatibility
    • The Word for Mac plugins are not yet compatible with Firefox 4.0 Beta 7 or later.
    • If Zotero does not start in Firefox 4, see this forum thread for more information.
  • Added Styles→Cite section in Zotero preferences with “Word Processors” and “Styles” tabs
  • Imported collections are named according to the file imported, rather than “Imported” and a timestamp as in previous versions

Localization changes:

  • Added Estonian localization
  • Fixed typo in Swedish localization

Bugs fixed:

  • Fixed 2.1b1-related word processor document field code corruption
  • Fixed translator filename bug in 2.1b1
  • Fixed RTF bibliography generation
  • Updated citeproc-js to 1.0.70, fixing many CSL bugs
  • Fixed a database issue that could cause a sync error (and possibly other tag-related problems) in very old databases

Developer-specific changes/fixes

  • Overhauled Zotero.Translate
    • New code should use new Zotero.Translate.Web, Zotero.Translate.Import, etc.
    • The core Translate class is now abstracted away from data access, read/write IO, and the sandbox API
    • Translators now use configOptions and displayOptions properties in their metadata instead of Zotero.configure() and Zotero.addOption() to specify interfaces
  • Zotero.Utilities is now a singleton
  • Zotero.Utilities.HTTP is now Zotero.HTTP
  • Zotero.Utilities.md5() and Zotero.Utilities.Base64 are now located under Zotero.Utilities.Internal
  • Zotero.Utilities.AutoComplete has been eliminated
  • Removed Zotero. methods:
    • inArray(), arraySearch(), arrayToHash(), hasValues()
  • Removed Zotero.Utilities methods
    • probability(), min3(), isInt()
  • Added Zotero.Utilities.deepCopy()
  • Added Zotero.CreatorTypes.getLocalizedString()
  • Moved Zotero.Utilities.getSQLDataType() to Zotero.DB
  • Throw an error if cross-site getTranslatorObject() is attempted

Changes in 2.1 Beta 1 (September 17, 2010)

Functionality changed or added:

  • Next-generation CSL 1.0 citation engine
    • citeproc-js 1.0.53 CSL 1.0 processor, written by Frank Bennett
    • Many new features and bug fixes (see “Bugs fixed” below)
    • Allows for correct formatting of many more styles
      • Some styles will need to be updated to take advantage of new functionality
  • Firefox compatibility
    • Only supports Firefox 3.6 or higher (Firefox 4.0 betas not yet supported)
  • Word processor integration
    • Improved integration with word processor styles (e.g., font settings)
    • Edit Bibliography window
      • Support for multiple-item selection
      • Removing items now leaves the citations intact, but removes them from the document
      • Added “Cancel”, “Revert”, and “Revert All” buttons
    • Unparsed dates are now treated as literals in bibliographic output
    • Allow repeat use of item in a citation
    • Better handling of Ibid. around non-Zotero footnotes and endnotes
    • Automatic smart quotes when saving from editor
  • Zotero Commons
    • Upload public materials to the Internet Archive directly from Zotero
    • Retrieve OCRed versions of contributed PDFs, allowing for searching of previously unsearchable content
  • Improved Firefox startup time
    • Particularly after fresh starts of Windows
  • Bibliontology RDF import/export
    • Follows an open spec to allow for data exchange with other tools and services
  • “Automatically attach associated PDFs and other files…” pref is now enabled by default
    • Existing users who would prefer not to save files will need to uncheck the option
    • Shift-clicking “Create New Item from Current Page” still temporarily toggles the setting
  • Auto-empty items in Trash older than 30 days
    • Controlled by trashAutoEmptyDays hidden pref, with 0 disabling the functionality
  • Proxy
    • Added a checkbox to temporarily disable proxying
    • Added an option to disable proxy redirection by domain
    • Removed the option to disable proxy detection
    • Display notification box when proxying
  • Append reporter name to title in UI for law cases

Bugs fixed:

  • Style output and word processor integration
    • Quotation mark localization
    • Various disambiguation issues
    • Editing a bibliography reset all reference numbers to 1
    • Suppress Author didn't work for multiple sources
    • Edit Bibliography button stripped year disambigutation
    • Broken pluralization with et al.
    • Items with non-ASCII characters were corrupted on save when Show Editor was open
    • Items cited in documents were not reselected when citations were reopened for editing
    • Only one work's page numbers were added to the citation when citing multiple works by the same author
    • Error when canceling citation add after editing
    • Refined tab order in Add Citation window
    • And many more
  • Include an appropriate rfr_id when generating COinS
  • Fixed startup error due to Zotero integration pipe being owned by root, and offer to correct the problem

Developer-specific changes/fixes

  • CSL
    • See CSL 1.0 specification for new functionality available with CSL 1.0
    • bookAuthor → container-author CSL mapping
  • Added Zotero.File.getBinaryContents(file)
  • Allow accessDate to be set explicitly false for web translators
  • Scaffold 2.0 compatibility

Older Changes