claude-scientific-skills/scientific-skills/pyzotero/references/files-attachments.md

Files & Attachments

Downloading Files

# Get raw binary content of an attachment
raw = zot.file('ATTACHMENTKEY')
with open('paper.pdf', 'wb') as f:
    f.write(raw)

# Convenient wrapper: dump file to disk
# Uses stored filename, saves to current directory
zot.dump('ATTACHMENTKEY')

# Dump to a specific path and filename
zot.dump('ATTACHMENTKEY', 'renamed_paper.pdf', '/home/user/papers/')
# Returns the full file path on success

Note: HTML snapshots are dumped as .zip files named with the item key.

Finding Attachments

# Get child items (attachments, notes) of a parent item
children = zot.children('PARENTKEY')
attachments = [c for c in children if c['data']['itemType'] == 'attachment']

# Get the attachment key
for att in attachments:
    key = att['data']['key']
    filename = att['data']['filename']
    content_type = att['data']['contentType']
    link_mode = att['data']['linkMode']  # 'imported_file', 'linked_file', 'imported_url', 'linked_url'

Uploading Attachments

Note: Attachment upload methods are in beta.

# Simple upload: one or more files by path
result = zot.attachment_simple(['/path/to/paper.pdf', '/path/to/notes.docx'])

# Upload as child items of a parent
result = zot.attachment_simple(['/path/to/paper.pdf'], parentid='PARENTKEY')

# Upload with custom filenames: list of (name, path) tuples
result = zot.attachment_both([
    ('Paper 2024.pdf', '/path/to/paper.pdf'),
    ('Supplementary.pdf', '/path/to/supp.pdf'),
], parentid='PARENTKEY')

# Upload files to existing attachment items
result = zot.upload_attachments(attachment_items, basedir='/path/to/files/')

Upload result structure:

{
    'success': [attachment_item1, ...],
    'failure': [attachment_item2, ...],
    'unchanged': [attachment_item3, ...]
}

Attachment Templates

# Get template for a file attachment
template = zot.item_template('attachment', linkmode='imported_file')
# linkmode options: 'imported_file', 'linked_file', 'imported_url', 'linked_url'

# Available link modes
modes = zot.item_attachment_link_modes()

Downloading All PDFs from a Collection

import os

collection_key = 'COLKEY'
output_dir = '/path/to/output/'
os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)

items = zot.everything(zot.collection_items(collection_key))
for item in items:
    children = zot.children(item['data']['key'])
    for child in children:
        if child['data']['itemType'] == 'attachment' and \
           child['data'].get('contentType') == 'application/pdf':
            try:
                zot.dump(child['data']['key'], path=output_dir)
            except Exception as e:
                print(f"Failed to download {child['data']['key']}: {e}")