ExifTool Forum

[Originally posted by barbalex on 2009-12-26 23:02:01-08]

Hi

I have 12'000 jpg-files in a folder. A database contains information on every file (description, categories) that I want to write into iptc-fields. The database also includes the filename and -path.

I could prepare a file in any needed format.

But how can I mass write the data for all files in a single process?

Thanks in advance for ideas.

Alex

[Originally posted by exiftool on 2009-12-27 12:18:00-08]

Hi Alex,

This can be done with a bit of custom scripting.  You should be
able to find a couple of examples by searching this forum, and
here's the first one I found with a quick search:

http://www.cpanforum.com/threads/11196

- Phil

[Originally posted by barbalex on 2009-12-27 14:08:24-08]

Hi Phil

Wow, that looks exactly like it could solve my problem. O.k., let's go for mission impossible...

Thanks a lot!

Alex

[Originally posted by barbalex on 2010-01-10 00:38:15-08]

Hi Phil

I can't seem to get the Syntax for the file "write_from_txt" right.

I have tried things like:

======== C:/test/0001.JPG

XPSubject                       : Thema

or

======== C:/test/0001.JPG

ImageDescription, TitelImageDescriptionNeu

or

======== C:/test/0001.JPG

[ImageDescription] TitelImageDescriptionNeu

or

[========] C:/test/0001.JPG

[ImageDescription] TitelImageDescriptionNeu

I always get the message: "write_from_txt TXTFILE [TAGS]", then the script dies.

What does the file have to look like?

Alex

[Originally posted by exiftool on 2010-01-10 11:23:53-08]

Hi Alex,

I think your first syntax is correct.  You will get the message you
mentioned (well, actually "SYNTAX: write_from_txt INFILE [TAGS]")
 if you don't put the name of the file on the command line.
ie)


Where "file.txt" is the name of your txt file.  (This is what the
message is trying to tell you.)

- Phil

[Originally posted by barbalex on 2010-01-10 19:56:10-08]

Hi Phil

Thank you a lot, I am one step further now. Unfortunately only one :-(

Now I get this message: Error opening 'write_from_txt'

I am still not quite sure how to write the command line. To try this out I have made a simple 'write_from_txt'-File. It contains:

======== C:/test/0001.JPG

ImageDescription: TitelImageDescriptionNeu

My script is named 1.pl

Does the command line go like this:

1.pl write_from_txt write.txt [ImageDescription]

or

1.pl write_from_txt write.txt [ImageDescription]\n

or

1.pl write_from_txt write.txt "ImageDescription"

or

1.pl write_from_txt "write.txt" [ImageDescription]

I have tried all sorts of combinations - nothing worked.

And what would it be with several Tags? Would the tagnames all be written inside the brackets, separated by commas?

Alex

[Originally posted by exiftool on 2010-01-11 12:34:56-08]

Hi Alex,

There appears to be some confusion.  In my examples, "write_from_txt"
is the name of the perl script that you are calling "1.pl".  So your
command line should be:


(The square brackets in the syntax idicate optional arguments.  Additional
tag names should be separated by a space.)

- Phil

[Originally posted by barbalex on 2010-01-11 23:24:37-08]

Wow, that did it. Mission impossible completed. You made my day!
 
 

Thanks so much, Phil

[Originally posted by barbalex on 2010-01-12 11:20:55-08]

Hi Phil

Writing the Tags works for all 6000 files with:



Only problem: I get this message: Warning = Malformed UTF-8 character(s) because I use ae, oe, ue etc.

I tried the following inputs:


How can I get correct coding?

Alex

[Originally posted by barbalex on 2010-01-12 11:42:43-08]

Hi Phil

How can I add a new Value without replacing the existing one?

In my script, this would probably be where et says:

I want to add iptc Keywords.

Would it be something with or is there a different call, like AddNewValue?

Alex

[Originally posted by barbalex on 2010-01-12 11:53:23-08]

Hi Phil

Writing the Tags works for all 6000 files with:



Only problem: I get this message: Warning = Malformed UTF-8 character(s) because I use ae, oe, ue etc.

I tried the following inputs:


How can I get correct coding?

Alex

[Originally posted by exiftool on 2010-01-12 12:25:39-08]

Hi Alex,

What encoding did you use for the text in "ObjectName.txt"?

It is best if you can use UTF-8 for this file.  Otherwise, you must use
the -charset option to specify the encoding that you did
use.  If you are in Windows, my guess is that -charset Latin
may get you going.  The warning you are getting is because exiftool
assumes the input to be UTF-8 by default, but apparently it isn't
valid UTF-8.

To add to a list item, you use


See
SetNewValue
in the API documentation for details.

[Originally posted by barbalex on 2010-01-12 12:49:18.509775-08]

Hi Phil
 


Encoding seems to have been ANSI. I set it now to UTF8 (using once the Windows Editor and once jEdit).


I also tried setting the encoding to Latin and using -charset Latin. Did not work either.

I work on Windows7.

Alex

[Originally posted by exiftool on 2010-01-12 16:31:23.769594-08]

Hi Alex,

If you email me all the files I need to reproduce what you are doing I
should be able to figure out what is going on.
My mail is philharvey66 at gmail.com

- Phil