Zotero Google Docs Integration

Zotero Google Docs Integration is a Zotero integration plugin that communicates between Google Docs and Zotero via the Connector.

Back-end

The Apps Script code should be deployed as an API executable and its URL set in zotero_config.js.

Field codes and doc preferences are stored as NamedRanges within the document by serializing them as range names. All text updates are done in the back-end. The document updates via the back-end are batched in the connector to reduce the processing time because of server latency. To learn more read the Apps Script reference.

Front-end

The connector front-end adds Zotero UI elements to the Google Docs editor and acts as a glue-layer between the back-end and the front end. The connector also:

• Inserts initial citation placeholders because we have no access to the user cursor from the back-end when the Apps Script code is deployed as an API executable
• Performs citation conversions to footnotes because the Apps Script has no API to insert footnotes into the document, only edit or remove them.

Apps Script Development and Deployment

You can develop and deploy Apps Script code using clasp

cd src/apps-script
clasp login
# Authenticate in the browser

clasp clone <scriptId>
# If you had unpushed changes, they are overwritten, so
git checkout -- .

# Make some changes in Code.js
clasp push
# Changes available in dev version