[Digikam-devel] [Bug 264745] New: When adding new tag to multiple images, tags not in common are removed from metadata, though still present in database

[Elle Stone]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=264745

           Summary: When adding new tag to multiple images, tags not in
                    common are removed from metadata, though still present
                    in database
           Product: digikam
           Version: 1.9.0
          Platform: Compiled Sources
        OS/Version: Linux
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: NOR
         Component: general
        AssignedTo: digikam-devel at kde.org
        ReportedBy: l.elle.stone at gmail.com


Version:           1.9.0 (using KDE 4.4.5) 
OS:                Linux

When adding a new tag to multiple images (haven't checked for just one image),
all tags not shared by the selected images are removed from all selected
images. These tags are still in the database and can be restored by synching
databases and images. Per
http://digikam.1695700.n4.nabble.com/digiKam-ate-my-tags-bug-feature-or-user-error-td3238857.html,
this bug seems to have been around for a while. It is also in the digiKam 2
beta.



Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
 Select a bunch of images and add a new tag. Open the metadata xmp sidebar and
note that all tags not in common to all the selected images are gone. Look at
the images thumbs and if you have digiKam configured to show tags, you'll see
that the tags are still in the database.



Actual Results:  
When the new tag is written to the image metadata of multiple selected images,
all the tags not in common to all images are removed from the metadata, though
not from the database.

Expected Results:  
When writing a new tag to metadata of multiple images, the old tags should
remain in the metadata as well as in the database. The new tags should be added
to the old tags, rather than replace the old tags.

If you are unfortunate enough to assume that having digiKam configured to write
metadata to your images is sufficient protection to get tags into images'
metadata, and you discard your old database and make a new one, then you just
lost all your tags. I lost "who" and "where" tags for 1100 images this way.
Fortunately, I had a backup of all the images and so was able to retrieve my
lost tags. 

The work-around is to end all tagging sessions with"Tools, 'write metadata to
all images'" to restore the removed metadata. Which raises the question of why
have digiKam write metadata while tagging, if it needs to be redone at the end
of the tagging session.

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