[Share] Working script: save all open Reader tabs as a timestamped session

[aurban0]

Description

Grouping tabs is not provided natively by Zotero, and scripts listed in related discussions didn't quite work or were outdated.
This script:

• Snapshots all open Reader tabs into a sub-collection Sessions so you can close them and return later.
• Each snapshot is timestamped (+ an optional label).
• Tested on: Zotero 7.0.16, Actions & Tags 2.2.4.

Event

None

Operation

Script

Data

// Zotero 7.0.16, Actions & Tags 

(async () => {
  const Zotero_Tabs = require("Zotero_Tabs");
  const window = require("window");

  try {
    // Single-run lock
    const LOCK_PREF = "extensions.zotero.actionsTags.saveTabs.lock";
    const LOCK_TIMEOUT_MS = 60000;
    const nowMs = Date.now();
    const existing = Zotero.Prefs.get(LOCK_PREF, true) || "";
    if (existing) {
      const parts = String(existing).split(":");
      const start = parseInt(parts[0], 10) || 0;
      if (nowMs - start < LOCK_TIMEOUT_MS) {
        return "Another save is already running, skipping duplicate.";
      }
    }
    const lockId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2);
    Zotero.Prefs.set(LOCK_PREF, `${nowMs}:${lockId}`, true);

    // Collect open tabs
    const READER_TYPES = new Set(["reader", "reader-unloaded", "reader-reloaded"]);
    const readerTabs = (Zotero_Tabs._tabs || [])
      .filter(t => t && t.data && READER_TYPES.has(t.type) && t.data.itemID);

    if (!readerTabs.length) {
      // Clear lock before returning
      const cur = Zotero.Prefs.get(LOCK_PREF, true) || "";
      if (String(cur).endsWith(`:${lockId}`)) Zotero.Prefs.set(LOCK_PREF, "", true);
      return "No open Reader tabs detected, nothing to save.";
    }

    // Attachment IDs from tabs
    const attachmentIDs = Array.from(new Set(readerTabs.map(t => t.data.itemID))).filter(Boolean);

    // Resolve to top-level items
    const itemsByLibrary = new Map(); // libraryID -> Map<itemID, Zotero.Item>

    for (const attID of attachmentIDs) {
      let item = await Zotero.Items.getAsync(attID);
      if (!item) continue;

      if (item.isAttachment()) {
        const parentID = item.parentItemID || (item.getSource && item.getSource() ? item.getSource().id : null);
        if (parentID) {
          const parent = await Zotero.Items.getAsync(parentID);
          if (parent) item = parent;
        }
      }

      const lib = item.libraryID;
      if (!itemsByLibrary.has(lib)) itemsByLibrary.set(lib, new Map());
      itemsByLibrary.get(lib).set(item.id, item);
    }

    if (!itemsByLibrary.size) {
      const cur = Zotero.Prefs.get(LOCK_PREF, true) || "";
      if (String(cur).endsWith(`:${lockId}`)) Zotero.Prefs.set(LOCK_PREF, "", true);
      return "Open tabs found, but none resolved to top-level items.";
    }

    // Build session name (timestamp, optional label)
    const label = (window.prompt("Optional label for this session (leave empty for timestamp only):", "") || "").trim();
    const now = new Date();
    const ts = now.toISOString().replace("T", " ").slice(0, 16); // "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM"
    const sessionName = label ? `${ts} — ${label}` : ts;

    // Parent collection pref base
    const PREF_BASE = "extensions.zotero.actionsTags.saveTabs.parentCollectionKey.";

    const results = [];

    // Per library: ensure parent, create session, add items
    for (const [libraryID, itemMap] of itemsByLibrary.entries()) {
      let parentKey = Zotero.Prefs.get(`${PREF_BASE}${libraryID}`, true);
      let parent = null;

      if (parentKey) {
        const all = Zotero.Collections.getByLibrary(libraryID, true) || [];
        parent = all.find(c => c && c.key === parentKey) || null;
      }

      if (!parent) {
        const all = Zotero.Collections.getByLibrary(libraryID, true) || [];
        parent = all.find(c => c && c.name === "@Tab Sessions") || null;
      }

      if (!parent) {
        parent = new Zotero.Collection();
        parent.name = "@Tab Sessions";
        parent.libraryID = libraryID;
        await parent.saveTx();
        Zotero.Prefs.set(`${PREF_BASE}${libraryID}`, parent.key, true);
      }

      const session = new Zotero.Collection();
      session.name = sessionName;
      session.libraryID = libraryID;
      session.parentID = parent.id;
      await session.saveTx();

      let count = 0;
      for (const item of itemMap.values()) {
        item.addToCollection(session.id);
        await item.saveTx();
        count++;
      }

      results.push({
        libraryID,
        parentName: parent.name,
        sessionName: session.name,
        count,
        collectionKey: session.key
      });
    }

    // Clear lock
    const cur = Zotero.Prefs.get(LOCK_PREF, true) || "";
    if (String(cur).endsWith(`:${lockId}`)) Zotero.Prefs.set(LOCK_PREF, "", true);

    // Summary
    return results.map(r =>
      `Saved ${r.count} items to “${r.sessionName}” under “${r.parentName}” (library ${r.libraryID}).`
    ).join("\n");

  } catch (err) {
    // Clear lock on error
    try { Zotero.Prefs.set("extensions.zotero.actionsTags.saveTabs.lock", "", true); } catch (_) {}
    return "Error while saving open tabs: " + (err && err.message ? err.message : String(err));
  }
})();

Anything else

No response

[Geo123abc]

Create a collection from opened tabs · windingwind/zotero-actions-tags · Discussion #213

[lewallen]

I tried installing and running the script but nothing happened (with many tabs open, no new collection appeared or any other effect of running the script as far as I can tell). I'm on a Mac, with Zotero 7.0.16 and Actions & Tags 2.2.4 (to match the requirements you mentioned). Does it not work on MacOS? Or is there anything else you can suggest about how I could debug the script? Thank you! I'd really love to get something like this to work.

[aurban0]

@lewallen The script should also work on Mac since it only depends on Zotero + Actions & Tags, not on the OS. My two main suspects are:

• The action isn't actually being triggered (due to an error on your side; please check the shortcut, script config, and tweak and try different configs).

• The script errors very early, most likely around const window = require("window"); or const Zotero_Tabs = require("Zotero_Tabs").

Perhaps you could try and run the script, and see if the Zotero Error Console logs anything? Then you could send me that. It also might be good to add some alert at the very start like mainWindow.alert("Tab session script triggered"); so that you know whether it's being triggered or not.

[lewallen]

Thanks a lot for your reply, you're right, in fact it turns out that I had just forgotten to set Operation: Script in the action config... ::facepalm::
Very sorry to have wasted your time with that... thanks for the great script!