Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- attaching_files [2020/03/27 16:35] – [Child versus Standalone Attachment Files] dstillman
+++ attaching_files [2021/05/15 01:22] – [Stored Files and Linked Files] dstillman
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 Files can be added to your Zotero library as either stored files or linked files.
+==== Stored Files ====
 Stored files, which are the default, are stored within the [[zotero_data|Zotero data directory]], and Zotero will automatically manage them, including deleting them if you delete the attachment item in Zotero. If you use [[sync|file syncing]], Zotero will automatically sync stored files between devices and make them available in your online library on zotero.org. If you add a stored file from a file on your computer, the file is copied to the Zotero data directory, so you may wish to delete the original to avoid confusion.
+When using Zotero file syncing, you can choose to download stored files only as needed, avoiding the need to download all files to every device. An upcoming version of Zotero will allow you to choose how long to keep synced files on a given computer in order to limit disk space usage, temporarily redownloading files when you need them.
+To use stored files outside of Zotero, you can use Zotero's search and organization abilities to quickly find the relevant items and then either drag the attachments straight from Zotero (e.g., into an email) or right-click and choose Show File to view the files in your file manager. If you prefer to find files without going through Zotero, you can also create a smart folder in your OS to show a list of all PDFs within your Zotero data directory and interact with them directly.
+We generally recommend using stored files for the most seamless experience.
+==== Linked Files ====
 With linked files, Zotero only stores a link to the location of the original file on your computer. Linked files are not synced, nor are they deleted if the attachment item is deleted in Zotero. They also can't be used within a group library, as there's no guarantee that other group members would have access to the same file location. If you do choose to use linked files, the third-party [[http://zotfile.com/|ZotFile]] plugin can help with an efficient linked-file workflow.
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 == Adding linked files ==
-  * By default, files dragged into Zotero are added as **copies** of the original files. To instead add **links** to the original files, hold down ''Ctrl''+''Shift'' (Windows/Linux) or ''Cmd''+''Option'' (Mac) while dropping.
+  * By default, files dragged into Zotero are added as **copies** of the original files. To instead add **links** to the original files, hold down ''Ctrl''+''Shift'' (Windows/Linux) or ''Cmd''+''Option'' (Mac) while dropping. (On macOS, it may be necessary to allow the Zotero window to come to the front before letting go for the modifier key to take effect.)