ZoteroPane

[Emiliano Heyns]

What is ZoteroPane, conceptually? I know it gathers some functionality that's centered around the main UI, but is that just it, functionality gathered for the main UI?

I also see there can be more than one (given getZoteroPanes), how am I to understand that, and can I get the associated Window objects from these ZoteroPanes?

[Dan Stillman]

On 6/6/23 3:54 AM, Emiliano Heyns wrote:
> What is ZoteroPane, conceptually? I know it gathers some functionality
> that's centered around the main UI, but is that just it, functionality
> gathered for the main UI?

It's window-level functionality. `Zotero` is XPCOM scope, so it's code
unrelated to a window, whereas `ZoteroPane` applies to the main window,
with functions that access `window` and `document`. On a literal level,
zoteroPane.js is just a script loaded by zoteroPane.xhtml, which is the
document for the main Zotero window.

I'm sure there are a few functions that don't technically belong there
because they don't access properties of the window, but mostly that's
what it is.

> I also see there can be more than one (given getZoteroPanes), how am I
> to understand that

That's for the once and future (and current, if you find the right hack)
ability to open multiple Zotero library windows.

> can I get the associated Window objects from these ZoteroPanes?

You would generally get the ZoteroPane from the window
(window.ZoteroPane), not the other way around, but
`ZoteroPane.document.ownerGlobal` would give you the window.

[Emiliano Heyns]

When monkey-patching itemTree.prototype._renderCell, which `document` should I use there to make new elements? Zotero.getMainWindow().document ?

[Dan Stillman]

On 6/6/23 8:00 AM, Emiliano Heyns wrote:
> When monkey-patching itemTree.prototype._renderCell, which `document`
> should I use there to make new elements? Zotero.getMainWindow().document ?

No, you'd want to get the document that it's a part of. Haven't tested,
but should be tree.window.document.

https://github.com/zotero/zotero/blob/6106e379c96a26897ead32a300190e2327a11f3e/chrome/content/zotero/libraryTree.js#L46-L48

[Emiliano Heyns]

That looks to work perfectly, thanks!

[Emiliano Heyns]

I am patching itemTree.prototype.getColumns and itemTree.prototype._renderCell (for both Zotero 6 and 7) to add the citekey column, but when reloading the main window on MacOS (cmd-w and reopen), the citekey column is missing. I had expected this patch to survive across a reopening of ZoteroPane. Should I re-patch these two on reload?

[XY Wong]

The new API to register custom columns is on the way, so at least on Z7 you don't need to monkey-patch it anymore. And on Z6, I'm afraid yes, you need to detect window close/reopen and patch again.

[Emiliano Heyns]

I tried re-patching, but it had no effect. The citation key column was absent from the column picker.

Will the availability of the new API be announced here?

[XY Wong]

Yes. Sorry, I do not have much time to investigate how to do that on Z6, but the API works well after the main window close-reopen on Z7.