Storing metadata in files
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© Lead Image © Nasir Khan, 123RF.com
With the Python XMP Toolkit, programmers can develop applications that store metadata in files.
Metadata is information about the contents of objects like graphic files, digital videos, or documents and can include the name of a photograph, the author, and the project, as well as details about the license used to publish the item. Subject catalogs, thumbnails, or coordinates of image areas containing faces or other items are also part of the larger realm of metadata.
A range of standards control the exchange of datasets across digital objects. The prevailing technique is to retain the metadata in the file itself and copy that data along with the file. For example, a widespread technical standard for metadata in digital photography is the Exchangeable Image File (Exif) format [1] for JPEG, JFIF, and TIFF images.
With Exif, digital cameras and smartphones can usually write a full range of technical information for inclusion in image data, such as date and time, camera model, focal length, and shutter speed. The standard even includes thumbnails and GPS coordinates.
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