XnView Software

database has nothing to do with the order in which data is written to the file

you can request 'Write Keywords in alphabetic order' feature
which on write event will read all keywords(existing+new), sort them, and write in order(one-by-one?)


As you can see XMP tags are recorded strictly in the ...

Well, seems it inversed now: child category XX last in table, but first in order AND separated from its parent
Is this a bug, or is it supposed to be like this?

sounds like you re doing weird things, show some pictures

ps. categories order in the app is and always must be alphabetical


Pre 1.9.4:
1.jpg
2.jpg
and in explorer:
3.jpg

1.9.4:
now strange sorting in xmp
4.jpg
bot no changes in TAGS table
5.jpg
so in explorer keywords with new ...

After last update (1.9.4) keywords assigned to images in unclear order. Previously, it was possible to use the ordered arrangement of keywords in the TAGS table of the XNVies.db file to assign them conveniently to image files. As example
D; E; A|F; Y; B
where keywords in TAGS was listed like

H
D ...