Extra Tags - other file dates

[Archive]

[Originally posted by arthurb2 on 2009-12-08 12:58:09-08]

My current scan software does not add any Exif data to the output Jpeg files and I would therefore like to set the Exif 'Create Date' and 'Modify Date' from the equivalent file information.  I see that ExifTool has the file's 'Modify Date' available as an extra tag, but is the original, or 'Create', date available.  If not, would it be a major item to make it so? Actually, just asking that question seems impertinent, and identifies me as lazy, but maybe it could be useful to others - possibly.  I could set 'AllDates' to the file 'Modify' date and then edit those that have already been modified one-by-one, but that is quite a lot of files (and probably, knowing me, quite a lot of mistakes).......
Arthur Barton.

[Archive]

[Originally posted by exiftool on 2009-12-08 13:09:11-08]

Hi Arthur,

The only filesystem date/time tag available via exiftool
is "FileModifyDate".  Unfortunately, since the file creation
date is not stored on many filesystems (Unix in particular),
there is no corresponding Perl function to access this information
so it can't be extracted using exiftool (without adding
system dependencies, which I don't want to do).

So this is one disadvantage of platform-independent
software.

- Phil

[Archive]

[Originally posted by arthurb2 on 2009-12-09 13:10:50-08]


Hello Phil,
 

          thank you for the rapid response - as ever.  I understand the platform independence problem only too well, and as ET is so extra-ordinarily comprehensive, I had guessed that this was the reason for the lack of what otherwise seemed a sensible option.  I have written a script, or at least the bare bones of it in the accursed VBScript, to pick up the Create Date and feed it to your excellent utility - it appeared to pass a simple test last night before I fell asleep...

Thank you again,

Arthur.