# Generating a link to an annotation in Zotero

> Source: <https://gist.github.com/flowing-abyss/1129259a0854dbf65f58bba720d90809>
> Published: 2024-11-15 07:20:02+00:00

zotero-link.sh

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#!/usr/bin/env bash

export LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8

# Requirements:

# 1. jq (https://jqlang.github.io/jq/)

# 2. Export Zotero library as BetterBibTeX JSON

# 3*. Espanso for quick link insertion (https://espanso.org/)

#

# Usage: zotero-link.sh [link|citekey|quote]

mode="${1:-link}"

library="$HOME/Base/Obsidian/.library.json"

fail() {

  printf 'zotero-link: %s\n' "$*" >&2

  exit 1

}

#─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

# Read clipboard

if command -v pbpaste >/dev/null 2>&1; then

  text=$(pbpaste)

elif command -v xsel >/dev/null 2>&1; then

  text=$(xsel --clipboard --output)

else

  fail "could not find pbpaste or xsel"

fi

command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1 || fail "jq is not installed"

[[ -r "$library" ]] || fail "library file is not readable: $library"

#─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

# Extract item ID

id=$(printf '%s\n' "$text" |

  grep -Eo 'zotero://select/library/items/[a-zA-Z0-9]+' |

  sed 's|zotero://select/library/items/||' |

  head -n 1)

if [[ -z "$id" ]]; then

  id=$(printf '%s\n' "$text" |

    grep -Eo 'zotero://open-pdf/library/items/[a-zA-Z0-9]+' |

    sed 's|zotero://open-pdf/library/items/||' |

    head -n 1)

fi

if [[ -z "$id" ]]; then

  fail "could not find Zotero item ID in the clipboard text"

fi

#─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

# Get item data from library

item=$(jq --arg key "$id" '

  .items[]

  | select(

      .key == $key

      or any(.attachments[]?; (.select == ("zotero://select/library/items/" + $key)) or (.uri | endswith("/items/" + $key)))

    )

' "$library")

title=$(jq -r 'if .shortTitle then .shortTitle else .title end' <<<"$item")

if [[ -z "$title" ]]; then

  fail "could not find exported Zotero item or parent attachment for ID: $id"

fi

#─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

# Citekey mode

if [[ "$mode" == "citekey" ]]; then

  citekey=$(jq -r '.citationKey' <<<"$item")

  echo "[@${citekey#@}]"

  exit 0

fi

#─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

# Link patterns

link_patterns=(

  "pdf:zotero:\/\/open-pdf\/library\/items\/([a-zA-Z0-9]+)\?page=([0-9]+)&annotation=([a-zA-Z0-9])+"

  "snap:zotero:\/\/open-pdf\/library\/items\/([a-zA-Z0-9]+)\?sel=([^&]+)&annotation=([a-zA-Z0-9]+)"

  "epub:zotero:\/\/open-pdf\/library\/items\/([a-zA-Z0-9]+)\?cfi=([^&]+)&annotation=([a-zA-Z0-9]+)"

)

#─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

# Match link and produce output

for pattern in "${link_patterns[@]}"; do

  IFS=':' read -r link_type regex <<<"$pattern"

  if [[ "$text" =~ $regex ]]; then

    link="${BASH_REMATCH[0]}"

    page_number="${BASH_REMATCH[2]}"

    case "$mode" in

    quote)

      quote_text=$(printf '%s' "$text" | sed 's/ *(\[.*//')

      author_full=$(jq -r 'if .creators[0] then "\(.creators[0].firstName) \(.creators[0].lastName)" else empty end' <<<"$item")

      echo "> [!quote]"

      echo "> ${quote_text//$'\n'/$'\n> '}"

      echo ">"

      case "$link_type" in

      pdf) echo "> - ${title}, [p. ${page_number}](${link})" ;;

      *) echo "> - [${title}](${link})" ;;

      esac

      [[ -n "$author_full" ]] && echo "> - ${author_full}"

      ;;

    *)

      author=$(jq -r '.creators[0].lastName // empty' <<<"$item")

      year=$(jq -r '.date // empty' <<<"$item" | grep -Eo '[0-9]{4}')

      result=""

      [[ -n "$author" ]] && result="${author}, "

      case "$link_type" in

      pdf)

        result="${result}${title}"

        [[ -n "$year" ]] && result="${result} (${year})"

        result="${result}, [p. ${page_number}](${link})"

        ;;

      *)

        result="${result}[${title}](${link})"

        [[ -n "$year" ]] && result="${result} (${year})"

        ;;

      esac

      echo "$result"

      ;;

    esac

    exit 0

  fi

done

fail "no suitable Zotero PDF/snapshot/EPUB link found in the clipboard text"