[Digikam-users] Timeline question, plus first impressions of 0.9.3 - delighted!

[Arnd Baecker]

Hi Elle,

On Sat, 19 Jan 2008, elle stone wrote:

> Hi, all.  I am new to Linux and new to digikam.  I just spent the last two
> days trying to (and finally succeeding in) installing digikam 0.9.3 from
> source on ubuntu gutsy.  My "ubuntu" installation is not gnome, but rather a
> minimal command line install with icewm as my "desktop" and other stuff
> added as needed/wanted.

Great that you managed that step (I don't use KDE either, but fvwm,
so digikam is not really bound to a KDE desktop ;-).

> First impressions, I am absolutely delighted with digikam.  In the world of
> windows I've trialed a great many image management programs and image
> editing programs.  I was looking to use digikam to rate and label images and
> input initial iptc data.  But I read through the documentation and was
> really impressed with the editing capabilities.  Now I haven't actually
> edited any pictures yet! but I played around - very clean interface - love
> the curves - I wish photoshop's curve adjustment were that nice.  And your
> various noise and focus algorithms, pretty sophisticated stuff.  Images load
> up very quickly, look sharp on the monitor.  The layout of the main window
> is very clean and useable.  I getting the feeling that there's some really
> good, good programmers working on digikam.

Great that you like it - all those involved in the development
and documentation appreciate such comments!
Many aspects of how digikam feels/looks are originated
in a lot of feedback by users,
as expressed in the wishes in the bug-tracker.

> So here is my timeline question/comment:  First, I love the timeline.  My
> directory structure is by year/month/day/ with all images named by
> date_time_filenumber.  But it is still really delightful to see the calendar
> and see exactly when I was and wasn't taking pictures.  Somehow that
> calendar is just so much more human and inviting than my bare directory
> structure.
>
> So I've been playing around with digikam, using a small branch of my photo
> directory copied over to my home directory (don't want to turn an unknown
> application loose on my permanent directory structure until I know exactly
> how it will work).

Fair enough (but you do have a backup anyway, right ? ;-)

> I entered a small bit of data into the IPTC of one
> photograph, taken November 11, 2007.  I updated the Metadata database (under
> Tools).  I wanted to verify that the data was indeed copied into the iptc
> field, rather than only being in digikam's database.  It was indeed written
> to the iptc.
>
> However, now the photograph is showing up on the timeline on January 19,
> 2008, the date the iptc was modified, rather than Nov. 11, 2007, the date it
> was taken.  Now this is just my own opinion, but I was surprised - I just
> don't think adding copyright information or a tag to a picture is a good
> reason for it to be assigned to a date on a timeline different from its
> creation date.

Yes. This is not how it should be, in my opinion.
While the date of the file on disk should change,
because the file was changed, this does not
change the date on which the image was taken
and which is used inside digikam.

[...]

> Is this a bug?  or a feature?  or a problem with this newbie's perhaps not
> so perfect attempt at installing from source?  or maybe even user error?

No user error, in my opinion a bug.
This is similar/related to:
-  "change the comment of a picture without modify its timestamp"
    https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=144215

    Maybe you could add your remark to this bug
    so that it is not forgotten.

-  "Adjust Exif orientation tag changes files date"
   https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=150609
See also:
- "Time and dates in digikam"
  https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=141014

With the upcoming digikam 0.9.4 resolving such
issues with dates is planned.

Best, Arnd