Re: XMP import patch - Best version yet :)

["Mattias Holmlund" <mattias holmlund gmail com>]

On 7/27/06, Stephane Delcroix <stephane delcroix org> wrote:
> Warren,
>
> the main issue is what to do when the image have data in both XMP and
> image...

Wouldn't it make sense to use the source with the latest modification
time-stamp?

> one can think that because the user made a sidecar, that's were the
> information is, but here's my use case:
>
> *joe has a picture /2005/event/img.jpg and want it to f-spot
> *joe write a sidecar, according to e.g. the path of the file. the
> important informations are in the sidecar

This sidecar is created after the image, so it will have a later
modification time-stamp.

> *joe import his image to f-spot but choose to NOT copy it in ~/Photos
> *joe add some tags to the photo, tags are written to the image

The modification time-stamp for the image is updated  (I assume?), but
not the sidecar.

> *joe remove his image from f-spot
> *joe want it back, then import it again... the important parts are now
> IN THE IMAGEFILE

The image now has a later modification time-stamp than the sidecar, so
the data in the image is used.

Using the modification time-stamp is by no means foolproof, but it
will probably do the right thing in the majority of cases. If the
image and the sidecar has the same modification time-stamp, we can
assume that both files were last touched by the same application and
since that application created a sidecar, the relevant information is
probably in the sidecar.

Another alternative is to always use the sidecar, since if this is
wrong, then it is easy for the user to delete the sidecar and try
again, but it is very hard for the user to delete the embedded xmp and
try again.

/Mattias

--
Mattias Holmlund
http://www.holmlund.se/mattias/