Keywords Handling (Subject and Hierarchical)?

[jch2103]

IMatch/ExifTool implements handling of keywords using both 'Subject' and 'Hierarchical' tags consistent with Metadata Working Group guidelines. Specifically, I can enter 'animals|bird|great blue heron' as a hierarchical keyword; IM/ExifTool then produces 'animals; bird; great blue heron' in the 'Subject' tag. All good, and consistent with what I've been doing for years.

I also use DxO PhotoLab to develop/output my NEF images to JPG. PhotoLab 4 produced JPG images consistent with the above tag handing. However, DxO has now implemented 'enhanced' metadata handling in PL5, as noted in some other posts here. One of the changes introduced is a different handling of the Keywords tags. Specifically, PL5 creates the 'Subject' tag the same way as above: 'animals: bird; great blue heron', but disaggregates the 'Hierarchical' tag into 'animals|bird|great blue heron; animals; bird'. So now my keywords are handled differently in my NEF and output JPG images...

I reported this on the DxO discussion board as a bug, but other users commented that this disaggregation ('animals|bird|great blue heron; animals; bird') is consistent with MWG guidelines and also pointed out varied implementation of hierarchical keywords in other programs (e.g., Capture One, Lightroom). After looking at the MWG guidelines again, it does appear that DxO's approach isn't inconsistent but I don't think the guidelines are very clear on this.

I wanted to raise this issue here before I add a PhotoLab 5 feature request to add an option to keep the prior handling of the keyword tags.

[Mario]

IMatch give you great control about how to flatten hierarchical keywords. Metadata Options
Use whatever works best for your workflow. Keep your thesaurus in good shape (this allows IMatch to re-map the flat keywords back into the proper hierarchical keywords on re-import) and make sure your other software does not shuffle or mess up things. Then you're golden.

It seems that every application out there does it's own thing more or less. And I will definitely not add yet another mode, feature, mapping, switch or toggle to IMatch to make yet another software happy.

I recommend using only one software for editing metadata. Especially keywords. Especially when mapping between flat and hierarchical keywords is involved. Not even Adobe got that right in several Lightroom versions.

I have wasted months if not years of my life dealing with metadata mess produced by other software, and I'm tired and sick of it.
If DxO now has enhanced metadata handling, good for them. I'm sure it will add to the common metadata mess over time.