Working with an argument file

[herb]

Hello Phil,

I am working with Exiftool V9.98 on a windows XP system.
I am developing a small tool as simple GUI for exiftool itself.
I start Exiftool with option:-stay_open -@ - and send the command via stdout->stdin

In case of also using an argumentfile within the command I get an unexpected behaviour:
- I have a *.jpg image as testfile that contains exif, iptc and xmp metadata.
- The testcase is to rebuild the exif-metadata, to delete the xmp-metadata and to keep the iptc-metadata unchanged.
  For me the important goal is to also use an argumentfile - in my testcase an argumentfile that deletes xmp metadata.
- The unexpected behaviour occurs only working via exiftool stdin.

When I send the following command via DOS-box
exiftool -charset filename=utf8 -use mwg -m -z
            -exif:all=
            -tagsfromfile @
            -exif:all
            -@ f:\a1.arg   ( a1 exists and contains 1 line: -xmp:all= )
            f:\test.jpg

the file test.jpg is updated as expected.
I know that the above command contains unnecessary options, but as the command is generated by my tool i give them all here.

When I send the command - but with a not existing argumentfile a2.arg - Exiftool sends an error message:
    error opening arg file: f:\a2.arg
and the image is unchanged.
This is all ok for me.

The unexpected behaviour occurs when I work with my tool that sends the command to Exiftool stdin.
Exiftool has been started with option: -stay_open -@ -

When I send the above given command ( each part is seperated by NEWLINE and followed by -execute111 )
the command is executed properly and Exiftool responds with {ready111}.
(So I think there is no syntax error.)

But when I send the command with a not existing argumentfile, Exiftool respondes:
{ready}
all metadata of file ( about 90 lines)
error message for not existing argument file: error opening arg file: f:\a2.arg

The image file is unchanged as in case of working with DOS-box.

What am I doing wrong?
Why does Exiftool display all existing metadata of the image?
Please advice.

Thank you very much in advance.
Best regards
Herb

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Herb,

Ah.  I see.  I'll have to think about this.

There are certain command-line errors that will cause the command to be aborted.  A missing argfile is one of them.  So the command is aborted after the missing argfile and the {ready} response is sent, then the rest of the arguments you intended for that command are interpreted as a new command. 

Clearly, this isn't desirable.  I'll have to think about how to fix this.

For now, at your end, place the -@ as the last argument to avoid executing another command with the remaining arguments.

- Phil

Edit:  I think I have solved the problem.  ExifTool should be ignoring all arguments until the -execute after it decides to abort a command.  I will implement this in the next release.  Thanks for this report.

[herb]

Hello Phil,

thanks for your quick reply and thanks for thinking about a correction in Exiftool.

But please allow to discuss an additional problem:
In case of sending the command via stdin and in case of the argumentfile does not exist and
(--new--) in case of my testfile (till now f:\test.jpg) has a name that contains also unicode characters
Exiftool does send 2 error messages:
   error opening arg file: f:\a2.arg and
   File not found: f:\testX.jpg (that now contains an unicode character X).

Thanks again for your help
Best regards
Herb

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Herb,

The Unicode character thing is a different problem.  See FAQ 10 and the WINDOWS UNICODE FILE NAMES section of the application documentation for help with this.

- Phil

[herb]

Hello Phil,

thanks for your comments. But I think we have a little misunderstanding. What I wanted to explain is the following:
Sending the command via stdin
exiftool -charset filename=utf8 -use mwg -m -z
            -exif:all=
            -tagsfromfile @
            -exif:all
            -@ f:\a1.arg   ( a1 exists and contains 1 line: -xmp:all= )
            f:\testX.jpg    ( with X being a Unicode character and file exists)

works fine.
But in case of the argument file does not exist, Exiftool gives an additional error report: File not found f:\textX.jpg
Is this the correct behaviour?
Or is it also solved when --  ExifTool ignors all arguments until the next -execute.  ( as proposed correction)?

Of course I did not test this via DOS-box, because I cannot enter Unicode characters here.

Best regards
Herb

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Herb,

Yes.  This is solved when ExifTool ignores the arguments for an aborted command.

- Phil

[herb]

Hello Phil,

thanks for the new version of Exiftool and thanks for the correction.
It works wonderful.

Best regards
Herb

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Herb,

Great.  Thanks for the verification, and for bringing this to my attention in the first place.

- Phil