Title: Folder management compatibility
Last modified: July 3, 2020

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# Folder management compatibility

 *  Resolved [miarr0wporg](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miarr0wporg/)
 * (@miarr0wporg)
 * [5 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/folder-management-compatibility/)
 * Hello David,
    This is a follow up question to [this one](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/folders-in-media-library-assistant/).
   I didn’t want to reply to that since it is already marked as resolved. I found
   it because I was searching for a tool that would allow to read metadata on import
   but still work with folders.
 * This is a question referring to compatibility with folder management. I guess
   a lot of people want WP to read metadata that is already stored in files (I believe
   those are the purlorg dc elements) and use MLA to map the fields.
 * I use xmp files and Photoshop to add file information like description, keywords
   and title to my files. Basically the same information I would need to add to 
   the files in the media library, such as title, description and keywords. It would
   save a lot of time if there was a way to have WordPress read that information
   on upload, since it’s already there.
 * Since most of the information stays the same I use the import xmp function to
   add a template xmp and change what is needed, which is often just the title or
   an additional keyword. Once that is done all that changes is the filename for
   different images of the same item.
 * Would it be possible to use your existing code to create a tool that works the
   other way round and maps the basic wp fields like title, caption & description
   to generate an xmp template file with placeholder text like “enter your wp title
   here” to cover differences in field naming (I read the discussion about extracting
   meta data from PDF)? A tool that would read the field-content on upload again?
   
   If it was possible, people could import the xmp into their Photoshop files and
   enter their taxonomy, export the file with the setting “export all (except exif)”
   and the tool would map the entry to the wp fields on upload again. End of job.
   Once the image has the file information attached it could be organized with folder
   management plugins.
 * I hope the question is not too much of an imposition, I lack the skills to even
   imagine how and if that would work, and I don’t want to waste your time with 
   a question that does not refer to MLA directly. So I hope you don’t mind the 
   question.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

 *  Plugin Author [David Lingren](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dglingren/)
 * (@dglingren)
 * [5 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/folder-management-compatibility/#post-13079627)
 * Thanks for your detailed question and for linking to the earlier support topic.
   It seems to me that the “folder management” topic and your “XMP” question are
   independent. You wrote:
 * >  **_I use xmp files and Photoshop to add file information like description,
   > keywords and title to my files. Basically the same information I would need
   > to add to the files in the media library, such as title, description and keywords.
   > It would save a lot of time if there was a way to have WordPress read that 
   > information on upload, since it’s already there._**
 * As I understand it, when you import the XMP template, customize it and save the
   results the XMP information is embedded in the image file in the same way IPTC
   and EXIF information is embedded; is that right? If you post a link to one or
   more of your image files I can investigate further.
 * The current MLA version contains the `xmp:` prefix that gives you access to all
   of the XMP metadata embedded in the image file. You can use that in the `[mla_gallery]`
   shortcode and in IPTC/EXIF or Custom Field mapping rules to populate WordPress
   standard fields, e.g., Title or Description, taxonomy terms and custom fields.
 * As you wrote, there are “**_differences in field naming_**” among the various
   image editing tools such as Photoshop. I think it would be better to use the 
   editing tool to generate a template. Photoshop, for example, already has an “
   Export…” feature to generate an XMP template file. In Photoshop, load an image,
   pull down the File menu, select File Info and look for the Import/Export/Show
   Templates Folder” dropdown control. You can enter the “placeholder text” in the
   tool and then export it as your template.
 * If MLA were to generate a template file using a specific set of field names there
   is a chance that some of these would not be recognized by the editing tool of
   choice. I believe it is safer to let the tool generate the template. Here is 
   an example of tool-specific metadata used by Photoshop:
 *     ```
             <rdf:Description rdf:about=""
                   xmlns:photoshop="http://ns.adobe.com/photoshop/1.0/">
                <photoshop:DateCreated>2020-07-03T14:31:34</photoshop:DateCreated>
                <photoshop:ColorMode>3</photoshop:ColorMode>
                <photoshop:ICCProfile>sRGB IEC61966-2.1</photoshop:ICCProfile>
                <photoshop:AuthorsPosition>Author Title</photoshop:AuthorsPosition>
                <photoshop:CaptionWriter>Description Writer</photoshop:CaptionWriter>
                <photoshop:Category>CAT</photoshop:Category>
                <photoshop:City>Origin City</photoshop:City>
                <photoshop:State>Origin State/Province</photoshop:State>
                <photoshop:Country>Origin Country</photoshop:Country>
                <photoshop:Credit>Credit</photoshop:Credit>
                <photoshop:Source>Source</photoshop:Source>
                <photoshop:Headline>Headline</photoshop:Headline>
                <photoshop:Instructions>Instructions</photoshop:Instructions>
                <photoshop:TransmissionReference>Transmission Reference</photoshop:TransmissionReference>
                <photoshop:Urgency>5</photoshop:Urgency>
                <photoshop:SupplementalCategories>
                   <rdf:Bag>
                      <rdf:li>Supplemental Categories</rdf:li>
                   </rdf:Bag>
                </photoshop:SupplementalCategories>
             </rdf:Description>
       ```
   
 * I am marking this topic resolved, but please update it if you have any problems
   or further questions regarding my answer, or if you’d like to post a link to 
   one or more images for me to analyze. Thanks for your thoughts and for your interest
   in the plugin.
 *  Thread Starter [miarr0wporg](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miarr0wporg/)
 * (@miarr0wporg)
 * [5 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/folder-management-compatibility/#post-13080175)
 * Thank you very much for taking the time to write such a detailed answer. The 
   differences in field naming are just differences in the way the user interface
   of that specific software “calls” what your put in the fields, what is generated
   is the same, I believe.
 * And you are right, the information is stored in the file. Unfortunately there’s
   no way to export the keywords but keep your very old photoshop version hidden;).
   
   Just in case you are interested: Here are some samples, a jpg exported with a
   template.xmp, which I included in the zip file. [Link to a zip file with sample data (jpg, xmp)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pBI6Fhv8Jr4bnOBCjW6ZWNcJNq-2No2N/view?usp=sharing)
 * I will try MLA. Thank you very much again!
 *  Plugin Author [David Lingren](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dglingren/)
 * (@dglingren)
 * [5 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/folder-management-compatibility/#post-13080457)
 * Thanks for the positive feedback and the link to your sample image.
 * You wrote “**_The differences in field naming are just differences in the way
   the user interface of that specific software “calls” what your put in the fields,
   what is generated is the same, I believe._**” It’s true that the User Interface
   labels vary quite a bit from tool to tool. Many of the underlying values, e.g.,
   the “Dublin Core” values, are usually the same. Working with many images over
   the years, I have found variations from file to file, especially in the EXIF 
   and XMP values. There are “recommendations” but no enforced standards.
 * Here is how some of the data in your image looks to MLA:
 *     ```
         'mla_xmp_metadata' => 
         array (
           'xmptk' => 'Adobe XMP Core 4.2.2-c063 53.352624, 2008/07/30-18:12:18        ',
           'ModifyDate' => '2020-06-29 11:00:30',
           'MetadataDate' => '2020-06-29 11:00:30',
           'CreatorTool' => 'Adobe Photoshop CS2 Windows',
           'CreateDate' => '2014-07-17 20:46:31',
           'Rating' => '0',
           'DocumentID' => 'uuid:CB7236F84605E411878D975CA54D0EC7',
           'InstanceID' => 'xmp.iid:59EA63D9E4B9EA1189F3B2BB826CC025',
           'OriginalDocumentID' => 'uuid:CB7236F84605E411878D975CA54D0EC7',
           'format' => 'application/vnd.adobe.photoshop',
           'Marked' => 'True',
           'DerivedFrom' => 
           array (
             'instanceID' => 'uuid:7F3B9E0152FAE311B2519653E5B611FB',
             'documentID' => 'uuid:AEC1518B978EE311B0C3FE4373DF94D0',
           ),
           'History' => 
           array (
             0 => 
             array (
               'action' => 'saved',
               'instanceID' => 'xmp.iid:A637B6431489E4118DA28EA0D4976CE5',
               'when' => '2014-12-21 15:50:38',
               'softwareAgent' => 'Adobe Photoshop CS4 Windows',
               'changed' => '/',
             ),
   
       ... (deleted 1 - 15 )
   
             16 => 
             array (
               'action' => 'saved',
               'instanceID' => 'xmp.iid:59EA63D9E4B9EA1189F3B2BB826CC025',
               'when' => '2020-06-29 11:00:30',
               'softwareAgent' => 'Adobe Photoshop CS4 Windows',
               'changed' => '/',
             ),
           ),
           'subject' => 
           array (
             0 => 'Iplehouse Sculptname',
             1 => 'BJD',
             2 => 'ResinRapture',
           ),
           'description' => 'Iplehouse Sculptname customized by ResinRapture',
           'rights' => '© ResinRapture',
           'creator' => 'ResinRapture',
           'title' => 'Iplehouse Sculptname - Dollname',
           'Title' => 'Iplehouse Sculptname - Dollname',
           'Author' => 'ResinRapture',
           'Subject' => 'Iplehouse Sculptname customized by ResinRapture',
           'Keywords' => 
           array (
             0 => 'Iplehouse Sculptname',
             1 => 'BJD',
             2 => 'ResinRapture',
           ),
           'Creator' => 'Adobe Photoshop CS2 Windows',
           'CreationDate' => '2014-07-17 20:46:31',
           'ModDate' => '2020-06-29 11:00:30',
           'xmlns' => 
           array (
             'x' => 'adobe:ns:meta/',
             'rdf' => 'http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#',
             'xmp' => 'http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/',
             'tiff' => 'http://ns.adobe.com/tiff/1.0/',
             'xmpMM' => 'http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/mm/',
             'stRef' => 'http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/sType/ResourceRef#',
             'stEvt' => 'http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/sType/ResourceEvent#',
             'dc' => 'http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/',
             'photoshop' => 'http://ns.adobe.com/photoshop/1.0/',
             'xmpRights' => 'http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/rights/',
           ),
       ```
   
 * Accessing the data within MLA is straightforward. For example you can use `[+
   xmp:description+]` or `[+xmp:Author+]`. Note that the names are case-sensitive
   and some of them, like “subject/Subject” and “creator/Creator”, can be confusing.
 * Good luck with your application. If you need more specific help, start a new 
   topic and I will do what I can.
 *  Thread Starter [miarr0wporg](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miarr0wporg/)
 * (@miarr0wporg)
 * [5 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/folder-management-compatibility/#post-13084961)
 * Thank you! I am sure most of what I need to know is already covered in your documentation
   or can be found in your answers to other people’s questions.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

The topic ‘Folder management compatibility’ is closed to new replies.

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 * 4 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [miarr0wporg](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miarr0wporg/)
 * Last activity: [5 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/folder-management-compatibility/#post-13084961)
 * Status: resolved