How can i do these CLI commands in Perl use Image::ExifTool API?

[refrain]

Interfacing directly with Image::ExifTool is also possible, but will require more coding to achieve what those three ExifTool commands do.

Hi Hayo,

Yeah, i need to make a script of those three ExifTool commands in perl, because it looks so 'simple' (but i know it is not as simple as it looks). I am still getting confused in learning Image::ExifTool API. Do you know how can i do them in perl? Would you teach me how to do it?

Regards,
Intan

[Phil Harvey]

I'm not clear on what you want to do, but to do these three commands in a shell script, just put them in a text file (file.txt) and run this command:

source file.txt

- Phil

[refrain]

I'm not clear on what you want to do, but to do these three commands in a shell script, just put them in a text file (file.txt) and run this command:

source file.txt

- Phil

Hi Phil,

I need to write those three commands using Image::ExifTool. I have tried to write this command: exiftool -csv -r -SourceFile -DateTimeOriginal dir > test.csv using Image::ExifTool, like this:

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#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;
use Image::ExifTool;

print "Enter image's directory name: ";
$dir = <STDIN>;
my $exifTool = new Image::ExifTool;
my $info = $exifTool->ImageInfo(${dir},'SourceFile','DateTimeOriginal');
open OUT, '>test.csv';
print OUT $$info{SourceFile} || $$info{DateTimeOriginal};
close OUT;
# end


But i have a problem in line while input the directory name and also the SourceFile didn't come out in csv file, though. and i have to write other commands using Image::ExifTool, too. Please help me to figure it out.
Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Intan

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Intan,

For the first command, just include the config file in your script.

The second command would go like this:

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#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;
use Image::ExifTool;

print "Enter image's directory name: ";
my $dir = <STDIN>;
chomp $dir;
opendir(DIR, $dir) or die "Error opening dir $dir\n";
my $exifTool = new Image::ExifTool;
open OUT, '>test.csv';
print OUT "SourceFile,DateTimeOriginal\n";
for (;;) {
    my $file = readdir(DIR);
    last unless defined $file;
    next if $file =~ /^\./; # ignore filenames starting with "."
    next if -d $file;       # ignore directories (for now)
    my $info = $exifTool->ImageInfo("$dir/$file",'DateTimeOriginal');
    print OUT "$dir/$file,", $$info{DateTimeOriginal} || '-', "\n";
}
close OUT;
closedir DIR;
# end

The third command would go like this (note that ReadCSV is a private utility function, not meant for public use, but it is convenient to use here so I will):

Code Select Expand

#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;
use Image::ExifTool;
use Image::ExifTool::Import;

my %db;
Image::ExifTool::Import::ReadCSV('test.csv', \%db) and die "Error reading CSV\n";
my $exifTool = new Image::ExifTool;
foreach my $file (keys %db) {
    $exifTool->SetNewValue();   # clear previous new values
    foreach my $tag (keys %{$db{$file}}) {
        next if $tag eq 'SourceFile';
        my ($n, $e) = $exifTool->SetNewValue($tag, $db{$file}{$tag});
    }
    $exifTool->WriteInfo($file);
}
# end

- Phil

[refrain]

Hi Phil,

Thank you so much for your helps! It's so helpful! I have to try those script on my ubuntu, now. I think i have another question i want to ask you about. But i have to try it first, so that i can ask you clearly, then. Thank you so much! 

Regards,
Intan

[refrain]

Hi Phil,

I try to write exiftool -config ExifTool_config dir using Image::ExifTool, like this:

Code Select Expand

#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;
BEGIN { $Image::ExifTool::configFile = '/home/intannf/ExifTool_config' }
use Image::ExifTool;

print "Enter image's directory name: ";
my $dir = <STDIN>;
chomp $dir;
opendir(DIR, $dir) or die "Error opening dir $dir\n";
my $exifTool = new Image::ExifTool;
for (;;) {
    my $file = readdir(DIR);
    last unless defined $file;
    next if $file =~ /^\./; # ignore filenames starting with "."
    next if -d $file;       # ignore directories (for now)
}
close OUT;
closedir DIR;
# end


I have updated the second script like this:

Code Select Expand

#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;
use Image::ExifTool;

print "Enter image's directory name: ";
my $dir = <STDIN>;
chomp $dir;
opendir(DIR, $dir) or die "Error opening dir $dir\n";
print "Enter .csv filename of the output: ";
my $output = <STDIN>;
chomp $output;
my $exifTool = new Image::ExifTool;
open OUT, ">$output";
print OUT "SourceFile,DateTimeOriginal\n";
for (;;) {
    my $file = readdir(DIR);
    last unless defined $file;
    next if $file =~ /^\./; # ignore filenames starting with "."
    next if -d $file;       # ignore directories (for now)
    my $info = $exifTool->ImageInfo("$dir/$file",'DateTimeOriginal');
    print OUT "$dir/$file,", $$info{DateTimeOriginal} || '-', "\n";
}
close OUT;
closedir DIR;
# end

Is that correct?

and i am still getting confused by the third script (for the third command). assume that i have to input the csv file to the directory (exiftool -csv=$test.csv $dir 2>&1 | grep "scanned\|updated"), and also in those script i don't understand yet about where i have to entry directory file is.
How can i write them, then?
Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Intan

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Intan,

I think you are still confused by the config file.  Just loading it doesn't do anything.  So your first script does nothing.

Your second script looks good.

I wrote the third script for you.  You don't need to input the directory if you want to process all files in the CSV, which is what I did in the script I posted.

- Phil

[refrain]

Hi Phil,

So should I just use exiftool -config ExifTool_config dir as it is? Yeah, i am still getting confused by the config file in Image::ExifTool and your third script, too. What i want to do in the third script is i have to input/load a .csv file first like this:

Code Select Expand

print "Please insert .csv file: ";
my $csv;
chomp $csv;
....
and if the .csv file exist, then it will import csv file to the dir. but, if it doesn't exist, so the user should insert it again. How can i write it? Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Intan

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Intan,

So should I just use exiftool -config ExifTool_config dir as it is? Yeah, i am still getting confused by the config file in Image::ExifTool and your third script, too.

What exactly are you trying to do with your first command?

What i want to do in the third script is i have to input/load a .csv file first like this:

Code Select Expand

print "Please insert .csv file: ";
my $csv;
chomp $csv;
....

OK, then do that, and change 'test.csv' in the script to $csv.

but, if it doesn't exist, so the user should insert it again. How can i write it?

I'll help with the ExifTool questions, but at some point you must learn about Perl on your own.

- Phil