modbender Zotero CLI
Command-line interface for the Zotero reference manager, providing terminal-based access to your Zotero library through the Zotero API.
Quick Start
# Install (PEP 668 systems)
sudo apt install pipx && pipx ensurepath && pipx install zotero-cli
# Configure
zotcli configure
# Start using
zotcli query "machine learning"
zotcli add-note "\"deep learning\""
zotcli read "\"attention mechanism\""
📖 Detailed guide: QUICKSTART.md
Installation
pipx (Recommended for PEP 668 systems)
pipx install zotero-cli
pip (Generic)
pip install --user zotero-cli
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
Virtual Environment
python3 -m venv ~/.venvs/zotero-cli
source ~/.venvs/zotero-cli/bin/activate
pip install zotero-cli
📖 Complete installation guide: INSTALL.md
Core Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
zotcli query "topic" |
Search library |
zotcli add-note "paper" |
Add a note |
zotcli edit-note "paper" |
Edit a note |
zotcli read "paper" |
Read first PDF attachment |
zotcli configure |
Configure API credentials |
Configuration
# Set default editor
export VISUAL=nano # or vim, emacs, code
# Run configuration
zotcli configure
# Verify setup
./scripts/setup_and_check.sh
Helper Scripts
| Script | Purpose |
|---|---|
setup_and_check.sh |
Automated setup and verification |
backup_restore.sh |
Backup and restore configuration |
update_check.sh |
Check for updates |
quick_search.py |
Formatted search output |
export_citations.py |
Export citations (BibTeX, RIS) |
batch_process.sh |
Process multiple queries |
Usage examples:
# Quick search
python scripts/quick_search.py "topic" --format table
# Export citations
python scripts/export_citations.py "topic" --format bib > refs.bib
# Backup
./scripts/backup_restore.sh backup
# Update check
./scripts/update_check.sh check
📖 Scripts documentation: scripts/README.md
Query Syntax
"neural AND networks" # Boolean AND
"(deep OR machine) AND learning" # OR + grouping
"learning NOT neural" # NOT
"\"deep learning\"" # Phrase search
"transform*" # Prefix search
Workflows
Literature Review
zotcli query "topic"
zotcli add-note "paper"
python scripts/export_citations.py "topic" --format bib > refs.bib
Daily Research
python scripts/quick_search.py "\"recent\"" --format table
zotcli add-note "\"interesting paper\""
./scripts/backup_restore.sh backup
📖 More examples: EXAMPLES.md
Documentation
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| QUICKSTART.md | 5-minute quick start guide |
| INSTALL.md | Comprehensive installation guide |
| EXAMPLES.md | Practical usage examples |
| scripts/README.md | Helper scripts guide |
Troubleshooting
Command not found:
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
pipx ensurepath
Permission denied (PEP 668 systems):
pipx install zotero-cli
Configuration errors:
zotcli configure
📖 Detailed troubleshooting: INSTALL.md
Quick Reference
# Essential commands
zotcli query "topic" # Search
zotcli add-note "paper" # Add note
zotcli edit-note "paper" # Edit note
zotcli read "paper" # Read PDF
# Helper scripts
./scripts/setup_and_check.sh # Setup
./scripts/backup_restore.sh backup # Backup
./scripts/update_check.sh check # Update
./scripts/batch_process.sh queries.txt --output results.txt # Batch
For complete documentation:
- QUICKSTART.md - Get started
- INSTALL.md - Installation details
- EXAMPLES.md - Usage examples
- SKILL_SUMMARY.md - Full overview