csv output file format ... columns or rows?

[snellius]

Yes, I am new in using exiftool. I am trying to create an interface between Filemaker and images, by using exiftool to extract metadata into the database or, vice versa, change/add metadata from the database into images.
I am trying to get exiftool write metadata from some images to a csv file, but ....
the csv file seems to be organized in columns and not rows
I did expect a series of columns (one column for each metadata / tag name) and one row for each image
but the csv file contains rows with all different metadata / tag names with a value in the next column, and after all metadata belonging to an image, a series of rows start for the next image
i.e. I cannot import the csv file into a filemaker table because it creates a record for each metadata/tag for an image
I could, of course, write a script to convert this table to a real table with records for each image, but I think there should be a more efficient way
any experiences with outputting to a csv file?

the command I did use to output to a csv file:

exiftool -g -filename -imagesize -exif:fnumber -xmp:all (pathname)/*.TIF > testoutput.csv
where (pathname) is a correct file path, because the images are found and read by exiftool

any help is very much welcome!

[StarGeek]

Something else must be happening because the CSV file exiftool creates has one row for each file and the columns are the tag names.

Example output

Code Select Expand

C:\>exiftool -csv -G -a -s -AllDates -Description y:\!temp\Test4.jpg
SourceFile,EXIF:DateTimeOriginal,EXIF:CreateDate,EXIF:ModifyDate,XMP:Description
y:/!temp/Test4.jpg,2022:04:17 15:21:23,2022:04:17 15:21:23,2022:04:17 15:21:23,Description

Result after loading the file into LibreOffice

[Phil Harvey]

the command I did use to output to a csv file:

exiftool -g -filename -imagesize -exif:fnumber -xmp:all (pathname)/*.TIF > testoutput.csv

You need to add the -csv option.

- Phil