[Digikam-devel] How to apply changes in digikams IPTC settings to all tagged photos?

[Marcel Wiesweg]

> I tested it like this:
> - added tags/keywords to a file
> - outside digikam: saved a copy of that file to another directory
> - removed the tags/keywords within digikam from that file
> - closed digikam, overwrote the file with the previously backed-up one
> - opened digikam again
> - now the Metadata was here again of course, but the tags were not checked
> - run the sync tool - keywords remained untouched in Metadata
>
> So, this is not a "real synchronisation", because there still remain
> differences between database contents and metadata...

Yes there are two different modes of operation:
- Don't touch what you don't know of - preserve tags possibly from other 
applications
- replace everything with your data

>
> I think these are very complicated tasks, and this is why I still really,
> really think, that the "advanced metadata handling" should be swapped out
> completely from the sidebar options, so that they can be left simple and
> easy and usable by "everybody", while the complicated stuff will be in a
> independend tool. Then this tool can be developped further without changing
> the behaviour of digiKam itself. It would also make it much easier to
> achieve and maintain a consistent behaviour thruout the sidebars because
> added functionalities in the "advanced tool" don't have to be in the
> sidebars too and they can be left untouched even if fantastic new options
> are added to the "advanced tools" in future.
>
> - - - - - - -
>
> For the sync tool, I would suggest some options that the user can choose
> from before starting it:
>
> - overwrite Metadata with the values, that are set in digiKam settings
> (like Copyright etc.)
> - OR leave these Metadata unchanged

What's the difference to the IPTC options in the configuration dialog?

>
> - overwrite keywords in Metadata with tags from database (which also means,
> keywords will be removed/overwritten with empty space when there are no
> tags) -- OR add tags to existing keywords (as it does now)

Such setting could be added to the setup dialog?

Or do you need to change these options very frequently?

>
> Then, when choosing "overwrite mode" for both options there will be a
> complete, real synchronisation between database and metadata. On the other
> hand the user can decide to leave some inconsistency if this better suits
> his/her needs.
>
> If it's possible, I'd also wish an option:
> - apply to all images in all albums (as is)
> - only to actually displayed album
> - eventually: only to selected images

Comments/tags sidebar, button "More".

>
> - - - - - - -
>
> during these tests I also (re-)found some other stuff, don't know if
> already mentioned in bugs/wishes:
>
> - when a file is copied into an album folder and that file contains
> Metadata keywords that do not exist as tags yet, then digiKam creates tags
> for these keywords, but the tags are not checked

Yes this is a bug which I noticed. I need to investigate further.

> - if you then check those tags, the keywords get duplicated
> (this also happens with the new sync tool, because it adds tags to the
> Metadata even if they same tags already exist as keywords - could be solved
> with the "overwrite"-option suggested above)

That's also simply a bug, duplicates should be removed.

>
> - when Metadata is changed by applying/removing a tag in the Comments/Tags
> sidebar and you then open the Metadata sidebar you still see the old,
> unchanged Metadata. The Metadata display is only updated after clicking in
> another image and back again. This is confusing, because actually the
> Metadata *has* been changed, but when you look at it, you think it remained
> unchanged.
>
> - When deleting a tag in the Comments/Tags sidebar the sidebar gets greyed
> out and remains greyed out even if you click into it. You have to click in
> the album preview again (like select the already selected picture again).

Yes, this is also bug I noticed, I investatigated this. There is a chain of 
signals resulting from the deletion of the album which ends in 
DigikamView::slot_albumSelected. I have to find out why this happens only 
with Comments/Tags sidebar.

>
> Sorry for the long letter, tried to be as short as I can ;-)
>
> Daniel