Meta Store Translator for Meta Store Experiences

This translator is designed for Zotero, the free, open-source reference manager. It extracts citation metadata from Meta experiences pages (covering VR/AR/XR games and software) available at https://www.meta.com/experiences/.

The translator gathers key details such as a trimmed title, description, URL, developer, release date, version, and publisher. It uses a combination of static meta tag extraction, dynamic keyword-based searches, and fallback parsing of JSON-LD data to build a comprehensive citation record.

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Features

• Title Extraction:
  The translator retrieves the full title from the og:title meta tag or document title and trims it by removing any trailing text (e.g., text after " on").

• Description & URL:
  It extracts the page description from the og:description or standard description meta tag, and uses the og:url tag (or falls back to the current URL) for accurate citation linking.

• Dynamic Data Extraction:

  • Developer: Searches the document using XPath for a keyword match (e.g. "developer") and captures the following sibling element’s text.
  • Release Date: Similarly, it dynamically locates and extracts the release date.
  • Version: Uses a keyword search to extract the version information.

• Fallback via JSON-LD:
  If certain fields (such as publisher, release date, or developer) are not found dynamically, the translator falls back to parsing JSON-LD data. It also cleans the publisher’s name by removing any trailing " Inc" if present.

• Item Type:
  The translator sets the item type as "computerProgram" to match Zotero's software entry requirements.

• Library Catalog:
  The record is marked with a library catalog value of "meta.com".

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Supported URLs

The translator is activated on Meta experiences pages. It detects a valid page if the URL includes /experiences/.

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Installation

1. Download the Translator:
   Save the Meta.js file on your computer.

2. Locate Zotero Translators Folder:
   In Zotero, navigate to Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Files and Folders and click Show Data Directory. Open the translators folder.

3. Copy the File:
   Paste the Meta.js file into the translators folder.

4. Update Translators:
   In your browser, right-click the Zotero Connector icon, select Options (or Manage Extension/Options), navigate to Advanced > Translators, and click Update Translators. This will refresh your list to include the new Meta Store translator.

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How It Works

When you visit a Meta experiences page (e.g., https://www.meta.com/experiences/gorilla-tag/4979055762136823/), the Zotero Connector icon will indicate that a computer program item is available. Clicking the icon will automatically extract the metadata, including:

• Title: Trimmed from the og:title meta tag or document title.
• Abstract/Description: Pulled from the description meta tags.
• URL: From the og:url meta tag (or the current page URL).
• Developer, Release Date & Version: Dynamically extracted via XPath searches.
• Publisher: Retrieved from JSON-LD data (with any trailing " Inc" removed).

The translator then creates a complete citation record for the experience.

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Sample Test Cases

Here are two examples of how the translator processes pages:

• Gorilla Tag:

  • Title: Gorilla Tag
  • Developer: Extracted dynamically (or via JSON-LD fallback)
  • Release Date: e.g., "Jan 30, 2025 at 7:50 AM"
  • Version: e.g., "v1.2.3"
  • Publisher: e.g., "Another Axiom" (cleaned from "Another Axiom Inc")
  • URL: Direct link to the Gorilla Tag page

• Wall Town Wonders:

  • Title: Wall Town Wonders
  • Developer: Extracted dynamically
  • Release Date: e.g., "Feb 15, 2025"
  • Version: e.g., "v2.0"
  • Publisher: Retrieved from JSON-LD data
  • URL: Direct link to the Wall Town Wonders page

For more details, refer to the test cases embedded within the translator code.

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Troubleshooting & Notes

• Dynamic Extraction:
  The translator uses case-insensitive XPath queries to locate keywords like "developer", "release date", and "version". If the page structure changes, these extractions might require adjustments.

• Fallback Mechanism:
  When dynamic extraction fails, JSON-LD parsing provides a backup to ensure key fields are still captured.

• Compatibility:
  The translator requires Zotero version 5.0 or above.

• Feedback:
  If you encounter any issues or have suggestions, please report them on the Zotero Translators repository.

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This translator is maintained by Chengkai Xu and last updated on March 12, 2025. Enjoy citing your Meta experiences seamlessly!