Feature Request: Tiny app help/manual update (-s)

[Martin Z]

Hi Phil, StarGeek & Co,

The next time you are releasing a new version of EXIFtool, can I ask that you add 1 line to the app manual / help please - specifically...

Code Select Expand

      -php                             Export tags as a PHP Array
>>>>  -s                               Use tag names instead of tag descriptions
      -s[NUM]     (-short)             Short output format
      -S          (-veryShort)         Very short output format
It's a really useful option, but I always struggle to remember it and miss it when I am reading through the app help to try and remember what it is.

I realise it's a tiny update, but hopefully you agree it would be a useful note to add... Likewise, no urgency on this, just whenever you get time is fine!

Cheers!

[wywh]

It is mentioned in the beginning of the FAQ.

"To print the tag names instead instead of descriptions, use the -s option when extracting information"

https://exiftool.org/faq.html#Q2

"-a allows duplicate tags to be extracted, -G1 shows the family 1 group name (ie. the location) of each tag, and -s shows the tag names instead of their descriptions"

https://exiftool.org/faq.html#Q3

[Martin Z]

It is mentioned in the beginning of the FAQ.
"To print the tag names instead instead of descriptions, use the -s option when extracting information"

Sure, I appreciate that but my point is more that when I am using the EXIFtool CLI and want to check a parameter, I generally use the CLI's help via EXIFtool --help etc.

Invariably what happens at the moment is...
[1] Skim through the parameters part of the help text (but not see it)
[2] Repeat this step and go through more thoroughly to make sure I don't miss it
[3] Get confused as I know there is a way to get EXIFtool to use tag names but can't find any mention of it
[4] Do various searches in the forum as know I have asked about this before
[5] Eventually find out how to do it via an FAQ or thread where someone's asked about this specifically
... and would be great if I could just do [1] above, instead of all [1-5]!

While I know any change rarely "just needs 1 line of code to fix", I think this request is very simple and hopefully shouldn't take literally more than a minute or two to add (plus I've said that this isn't urgent and so can be added whenever Phil / others have time)... So, with genuine respect, I don't think this request needs a load of discussion or pushback, as I'm just asking for 1-line to be added to the help text.

[StarGeek]

-s is covered by -s[NUM].  The use of brackets means that what is inside the brackets is optional.  This is a decades old standard of command line syntax.  See Wikipedia or Microsoft.

Edit: I got curious as to how old the syntax actually is.  I found a manual of the CP/M OS copyright 1984 that included it

[Phil Harvey]

While my heart goes out for you, I don't like the idea of including the -s option twice in the documentation.

However, I am open to improving the short description, which is currently:

    Short output format

If you can come up with a description that works better for you in 40 characters or less I'll consider changing it.

- Phil

Note that if I do a quick search for "tag names" in the documenation, I quickly find this paragraph:

            Note:  Descriptions, not tag names, are shown by default when
            extracting information.  Use the -s option to see the tag names
            instead.

also, in the long description for the -s[NUM] option, there is this:

                -s1 or -s        - print tag names instead of descriptions

- Phil

[Martin Z]

If you can come up with a description that works better for you in 40 characters or less I'll consider changing it.

OK sure.
 
I don't know how the short format parameter works overall TBH (what -s2 or -s3 do for example) but will read up and get back to you with a suggested amendment that covers "using tag names" and "short output formats".

[Martin Z]

PS - I'm aware of the convention of using [ ] for optional arguments.

In the interim (or as a quick, general amendment) given your point on the [ ] being optional, and so a number doesn't have to be given, how about...

-s[Num]  |  Use -s to show tagnames rather than desc. Use -s[0..?] for short output format.

Let me know if that works or you would prefer more specificity, and like I saw I can find out more about -s and what things like -s3 do, etc.

[Phil Harvey]

-s[Num]  |  Use -s to show tagnames rather than desc. Use -s[0..?] for short output format.

That description is 79 characters long.  We need to get it down to 40 for the "Option Overview" section.

- Phil

[Martin Z]

OK, it is a little hard to make concise as am trying to describe two things (i.e. to me: using tagnames is an explicit option that is different to outputting in a short format), hence my original thinking to add a line to the help.

But assuming you still would rather not add a separate line for -s on it's own, how about...

Use tagnames. Add [Num] for short output
(39 chars)

[Martin Z]

EDIT: Re-reading my message from the other day, I realised it might have come across passive agressive, which I didn't mean.

REVISED WORDING: If you're still keen to have -s descriped in one line, the best wording I can think of would be: Use tagnames. Add [Num] for short output (39 chars)

Would this work?

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Martin,

I appreciate the attempt, but it doesn't sit well with me.

Maybe something like this?:

        Short output format (-s for tag names)

- Phil

[Martin Z]

I appreciate the attempt, but it doesn't sit well with me.
Maybe something like this?
Short output format (-s for tag names)
- Phil

Hi Phil, I think that's a fair compromise.

As I say, I usually end up scanning through the list of parameters and their descriptions - so as long as tag names is in there somewhere, I think that should be fine. Thanks! 👍🏼

[Phil Harvey]

OK, good.  We'll go with that then.

- Phil

[Martin Z]

PS -- On a (somewhat) related note...

Is there a help option that just lists the parameter options?... This is usually the main thing I want to get, but currently I am using EXIFtool --help which...

• Prints the help in pages
• Prints the entire help manual

Don't get me wrong, the above two things are both very helpful is many situations - my point is just that if there was an option along the lines of EXIFtool --param-help that would print out all the parameters and their 1-line descriptions, that would be great for me!

Is there any option like this?

[Phil Harvey]

Sorry, there is no way to list only the command-line options, but they do come near the start of the application documentation.

I know you didn't ask this, but you can list the API options with this command:

exiftool -api

- Phil