XnView Software

Forum user discha reported the following bug in XnView MP 0.75:

When adding IPTC data to several files that contain IPTC data, already, XnView will not write/add the additional data.

To reproduce:
1. Select several JPEG files in XnView browser.
2. Select "Tools > Metadata > Edit IPTC/XMP..."
3. Enter a caption, a caption writer, and Special instructions, for example.
4. Use "Save all" to save all the entered IPTC data to all files. (everything works fine so far)

5. Select *some* of the previously selected JPEG files.
6. Select "Tools > Metadata > Edit IPTC/XMP..."
7. Add some additional IPTC data, e.g. enter some additional text for the caption.
8. Use "Save all" to save all the entered IPTC data to all files.
--> The additional IPTC data is not saved into the JPEG files.

helmut wrote:...
--> The additional IPTC data is not saved into the JPEG files.

maybe a bug - maybe a feature.

The "options" tab for the edit iptc window has several options for handling this situation, and the program might be be performing as specified.

CameronD wrote:... The "options" tab for the edit iptc window has several options for handling this situation, and the program might be be performing as specified.

Thanks for your reply, CameronD. I've double-checked the options ("Options" tab in "Edit IPTC/XMP" dialog) which still have their default value:
[x] Keep and add new value (Keywords and supplemental categories)
[x] Keep original value if new value is empty
[x] Replace only if original value is empty.

While writing this post I realize that "Keep and add new value" works for Keywords and categories, only. And "Replace only if original value is empty" is on. When unchecking "Replace only if original vaue is empty" the existing value is substituted (as expected). ATM, there seems to be no way to keep and add new values to fields other than keywords and categories.

All in all this looks like a (missing) feature, not a bug.

helmut wrote:...All in all this looks like a (missing) feature, not a bug.

I have been caught out by this a few times. Sometimes I have overwritten captions that I did not want to change. Other times I have failed to make changes that I expected. I do not always remember that I need to check what the options are set to. It is a bit easier with xnview classic, when the options are visible no matter what tabs are visible.

For me, the first thing that would help is a warning whenever I am attempting to change entries that do not have a single value across all selected images. Then, ideally, the option box would pop up to give me the option to "not change existing content unless empty", "overwrite unconditionally", or "append".

It could get messy.