Keywords vs Categories

[xnview]

I try to find the best way to use keywords...

Categories are currently only DB based.
Keywords are IPTC based, imported in DB, and not hierarchical but must be!

If we have only ONE DB for categories & keywords, is it the best?

* If file has IPTC/XMP, so we can synchronise IPTC Keywords => DB Categories (if not yet in the DB), and when categories are changed DB Categories => IPTC Keywords.
* If file has no IPTC or XMP, only DB

Or is useful to have Categories AND Keywords (hierarchical) DB?

What do you think?

[Olivier_G]

If we have only ONE DB for categories & keywords, is it the best?

* If file has IPTC/XMP, so we can synchronise IPTC Keywords => DB Categories (if not yet in the DB), and when categories are changed DB Categories => IPTC Keywords.
* If file has no IPTC or XMP, only DB

Yes, I think it's the right solution.

But it's important to think extensively about this before implementing it.
In particular, what are the latest directions from the Metadata Working Group? If they come with a standard way to implement hierarchical categories/keywords, we'd better use that.

[oops66]

The key way for me, is to not have a destructive behavior for the pictures,( jpg, tif,....) even for the embedded meta-data.
So the priority must come from each pictures (IPTC, XMP,... fields).
In this case, it is interesting to have an automatic behavior for:
Meta-data (keywords from images) --> XnView Categories DB
To Improve the speed of the filtering and search functions...

The opposite way, to have an interactive behavior ( XnView Categories DB --> Meta-data (possible new keywords to the images)) must be under the users control, because this way is "destructive" for the pictures.

But of course, it's important to think extensively about this before the implementation.

[obelisk]

yes, I always think categories & keywords as the same thing. Why have 2 DB?

Agree with oops66, auto img->db, manual db->img

a simple button to save db->iptc for files w/o existing iptc too

[oops66]

a) About categories & keywords:
I always think categories & keywords as the same thing too, and one DB is enough for me.
So a simple menu (or button) to have the ability to manually synchronize (save) db->iptc (for each selected jpg files) from "XnView categories + modified IPTC keywords db" to each related photos and IPTC keywords fields, is a good solution for me.

B) Plus (to automatically and recursively generate the full photo album sorted by date - like Picasa):
It would also be very interesting to have into this Xnview DB the "taken Date" EXIF field , to also have the ability to automatically and quickly generate the full "recursive" photo album (from data already registered into the Xnview DB) automatically sorted by taken date & time like:

Code: Select all

...
2007
  January
    1.jpg
    2.jpg
    ...
    n.jpg
  April
    1.jpg
    2.jpg
    n.jpg
  ...
2008
  January
    1.jpg
    2.jpg
    n.jpg
  June
    1.jpg
    2.jpg
    n.jpg
...

And with the possibility to synchronize it ( db--> IPTC ) to the splited IPTC fields : Date/Time tab= Date Created & Time Created

So a DB priority for the IPTC fields: (Date Created) if exist, or if not exist, the "taken Date" EXIF field, or if not exist, the "taken Date" XMP field, ... ?
So a hierarchical management only for the meta-Data: Date & Time fields.

c) It would also be interesting in the future to have into this Xnview DB the "GPS location" too ... to an automatic mapping of the images ..... .....

[obelisk]

so is this making it into the next RC?