Hello Phil,
I played with the new feature introduced with version 12.60: replace option -addTagsFromFile
I tested with version 12.62 on Windows 10 the following scenarios - conditionally replace value of a single tag (in my case -xmp-dc:Identifier)
using string-values and/or also variables for both old- and new-value.
In case of using a tag-variable for old-value and/or new-value I have not seen any strange behaviour.
BUT in case of using strings (no variables) I received output messages which I did not expect.
See the following commands:
exiftool.exe -xmp-dc:identifier=ident -usercomment=comment test.jpg
1 image files updated
exiftool.exe -xmp-dc:all test.jpg
Identifier : ident
exiftool.exe -tagsfromfile @ -xmp-dc:identifier-=value -xmp-dc:identifier=newident test.jpg
(*) 1 image files updated
exiftool.exe -xmp-dc:all test.jpg
Identifier : ident
exiftool.exe -xmp-dc:identifier-=value -xmp-dc:identifier=newident test.jpg
(*) 0 image files updated
1 image files unchanged
exiftool.exe -xmp-dc:all test.jpg
Identifier : ident
exiftool.exe -tagsfromfile @ -xmp-dc:identifier-=ident -xmp-dc:identifier=newident test.jpg
(*) 1 image files updated
exiftool.exe -xmp-dc:all test.jpg
Identifier : ident
exiftool.exe -xmp-dc:identifier-=ident -xmp-dc:identifier=newident test.jpg
1 image files updated
exiftool.exe -xmp-dc:all test.jpg
Identifier : newident
Questions ad (*):
Why is output different with/without option -tagsfromfile @ ?
Why is message "1 image files updated" although nothing is changed?
Thanks for your help in advance
Best regards
herb
I haven't completely looked over your output, but in the case of -TagsFromFile @ -xmp-dc:identifier-=value -xmp-dc:identifier=newident, here's what I think it happening.
In that command, you do not declare any tags to copy. So it is defaulting to -All. If you look at all the tags after the -TagsFromFile option (https://exiftool.org/exiftool_pod.html#tagsFromFile-SRCFILE-or-FMT), you will see that exiftool has copied data from the file properties into the EXIF/XMP-exif tags of the same name
C:\>exiftool -G1 -a -s -e --file:all y:\!temp\Test4.jpg
[ExifTool] ExifToolVersion : 12.62
[IFD0] XResolution : 72
[IFD0] YResolution : 72
[IFD0] ResolutionUnit : inches
[IFD0] YCbCrPositioning : Centered
[ExifIFD] ExifVersion : 0232
[ExifIFD] ComponentsConfiguration : Y, Cb, Cr, -
[ExifIFD] UserComment : comment
[ExifIFD] FlashpixVersion : 0100
[ExifIFD] ColorSpace : Uncalibrated
[XMP-x] XMPToolkit : Image::ExifTool 12.62
[XMP-dc] Identifier : ident
[XMP-exif] ComponentsConfiguration : Y, Cb, Cr, -
[XMP-tiff] BitsPerSample : 8
[XMP-tiff] ImageHeight : 1205
[XMP-tiff] ImageWidth : 1749
[XMP-tiff] YCbCrPositioning : Centered
[XMP-tiff] YCbCrSubSampling : YCbCr4:2:0 (2 2)
At that point, I'm not sure what happens. By reading note #4 under the -TagsFromFile option, it seems that the -xmp-dc:identifier=newident assignment should be in position 4. I'm looking through the -v (-verbose) option (https://exiftool.org/exiftool_pod.html#v-NUM--verbose) output to dig a bit deeper.
Phil will probably answer the question before I figure it out, though.
Hello StarGeek,
thanks for your analysis.
QuoteSo it is defaulting to -All.
I do not agree, because in case of following command
exiftool.exe -tagsfromfile @ -xmp-dc:identifier-=value "-+xmp-dc:identifier<${usercomment}" test.jpg
0 image files updated
1 image files unchangedwe have the expected answer.
Best regards
herb
But you have an explicit tag you are copying, UserComment, so it won't default to -all.
edit: So this is both a conditional replacement and explicit tag copy. Because Identifier does not equal "value", nothing is changed. But change the delete to "ident" and the replacement is made
C:\>exiftool -P -overwrite_original -tagsfromfile @ -xmp-dc:identifier-=ident "-+xmp-dc:identifier<${usercomment}" y:\!temp\Test4.jpg
1 image files updated
C:\>exiftool -G1 -a -s -Usercomment -Identifier y:\!temp\Test4.jpg
[ExifIFD] UserComment : comment
[XMP-dc] Identifier : comment
Ok, trying to work through this.
exiftool.exe -tagsfromfile @ -xmp-dc:identifier-=value -xmp-dc:identifier=newident test.jpg
This is two separate operations. First, the conditional replacement of Identifier. From the docs
and -= may be used to conditionally delete or replace a tag
This is an operation I always have problems wrapping my head around, but Identifier is changed only if it was already set to "value". The -v3 output on this is
Deleting XMP-dc:Identifier if value is 'value'
Writing XMP-dc:Identifier if tag was deletedSee these writing examples (https://exiftool.org/exiftool_pod.html#exiftool--whitebalance--auto--WhiteBalance-tung-dst.jpg)
The -TagsFromFile option is completely separate from the conditional replacement. Since no tags are listed for this operation, it defaults to -All. This can be seen by looking at the rest of the data that was copied as shown in my post above. -v3 output for this shows
Rewriting IFD0
- IFD0:XResolution = '72'
+ IFD0:XResolution = '72'
- IFD0:YResolution = '72'
+ IFD0:YResolution = '72'
- IFD0:ResolutionUnit = '2'
+ IFD0:ResolutionUnit = '2'
Rewriting ExifIFD
- ExifIFD:ExifVersion = '0232'
+ ExifIFD:ExifVersion = '0232'
- ExifIFD:UserComment = 'ASCIIcomment'
+ ExifIFD:UserComment = 'ASCIIcomment'
- ExifIFD:FlashpixVersion = '0100'
+ ExifIFD:FlashpixVersion = '0100'
- ExifIFD:ColorSpace = '65535'
+ ExifIFD:ColorSpace = '65535'
JPEG APP1 (2823 bytes)
Rewriting XMP
+ XMP-tiff:BitsPerSample = '8'
+ XMP-exif:ComponentsConfiguration = '1'
+ XMP-exif:ComponentsConfiguration = '2'
+ XMP-exif:ComponentsConfiguration = '3'
+ XMP-exif:ComponentsConfiguration = '0'
+ XMP-tiff:ImageHeight = '1205'
+ XMP-tiff:ImageWidth = '1749'
+ XMP-tiff:YCbCrPositioning = '1'
+ XMP-tiff:YCbCrSubSampling = '2'
+ XMP-tiff:YCbCrSubSampling = '2'
exiftool.exe -xmp-dc:identifier-=value -xmp-dc:identifier=newident test.jpg
Again, conditional replacement. Identifier is set to a new value only if it was deleted.
exiftool.exe -tagsfromfile @ -xmp-dc:identifier-=ident -xmp-dc:identifier=newident test.jpg
This one is tricky. First, conditional replacement of Identifier. Identifier is set to "newident".
But then, because there was no explicit tag copy for -TagsFromFile, it defaults to -All. So the Identifier value of "ident" is copied back into the file.
The only thing I'm unsure about here is the order of operations. From note #4 under the -TagsFromFile option (https://exiftool.org/exiftool_pod.html#tagsFromFile-SRCFILE-or-FMT), any tag assignment given after the -TagsFromFile option is done last. This would be the -Four=4 in that example. So either no explicit tag assignment -all is done last or the conditional replacement isn't considered an assignment.
And the final example is the conditional replacement.
I think that covers it all
Hello,
yes, you are right; and thanks for your detailed analysis.
Best regards
herb
Thanks for giving me a puzzle to work out regarding the conditional replacement. Like I said, it's a weak point for me and this helped me get my head around it a bit better.