ExifTool Forum

General => Metadata => Topic started by: ronikoren on June 18, 2022, 06:41:31 AM

Title: Does Exiftool rewrite the whole file when changing a metadata property value?
Post by: ronikoren on June 18, 2022, 06:41:31 AM
Hi, if I use Exiftool to just set/write "-title=title3" of a 4GB .MP4 file,
does the tool just change the value of this attribute (by just writing a few bytes) without rewriting the whole file or would it rewrite the whole 4GB?
Title: Re: Does Exiftool rewrite the whole file when changing a metadata property value?
Post by: StarGeek on June 18, 2022, 10:34:11 AM
No, exiftool does not do in-place edits.  It re-writes the entire file.  See FAQ #31 (https://exiftool.org/faq.html#Q31).
Title: Re: Does Exiftool rewrite the whole file when changing a metadata property value?
Post by: Phil Harvey on June 18, 2022, 05:19:44 PM
@StarGeek good use of the new FAQ. :)

- Phil