[Digikam-users] database migration thoughts

[Simon Oosthoek]

Hi everyone

I've ran into this and other issues with the database when upgrading
digikam several times.

My perception is that while database functionality is used and
appreciated by the developers of digikam, they are not that interested
in spending time on that aspect of digikam, which results in migration
problems, upgrading problems and other issues that can be solved at the
database level, but are simply not implemented due to other priorities.

I appreciate digikam and what features /are/ implemented. However I
think that to make digikam truly of professional quality, the database
has to move up on the priority list of the developers. I don't know how
to do this, but perhaps the KDE community can be prodded for people more
interested in database programming and user interface aspects for that,
to join the digikam team?

Or we could produce a list of missing features with/around the database
use in digikam that can be the basis for a google (or anything)
summer/winter of code job?

My list (I think I've also filed a bug at some point, maybe I'll look it
up later to add here):

- painless upgrading!
- recovery of the contents of databases in newer versions of digikam
(recover links between tags and other meta-info and the images)
- easy copying of files+metadata to other users, machines, versions
- easy merging/splitting of collections with their database info intact.
- easy merging of meta-info for multiple versions of the same image

These are the most important ones I can think of, they would save me a
lot of time!

Cheers

Simon