DOCX Metadata Write Back

[StanRohrer]

MetadataTesting123
This is a Microsoft Word Document saved in an iMatch folder. A sidecar XMP file is generated when iMatch recognizes this file and adds data.

An iMatch Metadata entry into field {File.MD.XMP::dc\rights\Rights\0} will be shown as a Write Back pencil on the file to field XMP::dc\Rights. Clicking the Pencil will write the data as expected.

Simlarly, an iMatch Metadata entry into field {File.MD.XMP::Lightroom\hierarchicalSubject\HierarchicalSubject\0} will be shown as a Write Back pencil on the file to fields XMP::Lightroom\HierarchicalSubject and XMP::dc/Subject. Clicking the Pencil will seem to write the field XMP::Lightroom\HierarchicalSubject but the Pencil will soon come back and indicate unwritten data is still waiting to be written to XMP::dc/Subject.

Clicking the Pencil again still results in data waiting to be written.

Typically in my setup I put data into the Metadata panel at {File.MD.XMP::dc\description\Description\0} and this entry sticks on a Write Back. However, for this Word file type, an entry saved to iMatch data works and shows the file Pencil as having Write back data for XMP::dc/Description and XMP::dc/Subject. (Screen01 attached). Clicking the Pencil to Write Back data will soon return with an empty description field and the Pencil indicating unwritten data is still waiting to be written to XMP::dc/Subject. (Screen02 attached).

I have lost my input Description in the process of trying to write it and to clear the Subject problem. This only seems to happen on Microsoft Word .docx files. If I save to an earlier Word format, then Microsoft Word .doc files will work as expected with Metadata Write Back.

Is there a problem with iMatch or do I have some sort of setup problem with the handling with the Word .docx file type?
Attached are my test files, xmp files, and noted screen shots.

[Mario]

Maybe ExifTool can read metadata from DOCX files, but not write them? And if it somehow gets a description from the DOCX on re-import, this may override the description from the external XMP sidecar file (embedded metadata is considered superior). Check your DOCX if it has something that could be understood by ExifTool as a description.

Microsoft DOCX just may not mix well with XMP data. Why don't you use Word to add and edit metadata directly? I'm sure when ET can see the data, it will show up in IMatch as well.

[StanRohrer]

Maybe I don't know enough about the metadata and how it interacts (gets stored) in files. In this case of Word files the metadata is stored in the sidecar XMP file so I should not care about anything in the DOC or DOCX file - yes? Shouldn't iMatch be working the same on the sidecar XMP file in both cases of DOC and DOCX?

I'm not familiar with using Word to edit the metadata such as I'm adding in iMatch. I shall have to see if I can learn that. Or, just keep using the older DOC file type for the records I keep within IM and within photo shoot folders.

I just opened an XMP file for edit in Word. Ouch! That looks like ugly syntax for a neophyte.

[Mario]

IMatch always merges metadata embedded in files with the metadata from XMP sidecar files. By default, it considers data embedded in a file more important that the data from the XMP sidecar file.

DOCX is a container format that can contain a lot of stuff. When I recall correctly, the documentation of the file format is about 5,000 pages long.

ExifTool has this to say about it:

https://sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/TagNames/OOXML.html

ExifTool can read more file formats than it can write. ExifTool only writes file formats which are totally safe. Which is a good thing.
I guess it what happes is that your DOCX files already contain a description of sorts, and this is considered more important than the description in the XMP sidecar. XMP was developed for images, not necessarily for Office documents.

I suggest you use the file properties feature in Word to edit the description and keywords of your Word files. ExifTool will pick this up and IMatch will show the data.

[StanRohrer]

I just changed my couple of problem .DOCX files to be resaved at >DOC and this will solve my problem for now.

Then I realized that there are another dozen .DOCX files laying around in my database that haven't shown this Write back problem. So I'm a bit confused. Perhaps the sequence of what metadata is inside the document vs the timing of the IM creation of the sidecar file and it's data is somehow a part of the problem. Just guessing and I'm not working hard to understand the failures. I have a workaround for now.

Then again, the "working" .DOCX files may not have had metadata written to the side car files. Oh! So many nuances to work out.

[Mario]

You can see the properties (metadata) of your DOCX Word files in Word. No need to guess.

[sinus]

Stan,
If I create a docx and add then in IMatch a keyword, I have also to click twice on the yellow pencil. After the second click it dispears.
I have to click twice also on some pictures, that is why this is normal behaviour for me (specialy with keywords).
Clicking twice or even several times on the pencil a lot of users asked here on the forum.
Seems to be sometimes normal (a kind of synchrnisation) for some files, hence it did not bother me.

[Mario]

Keywords is always special. If you need to click twice, the keywords in your file were not properly synchronized between XMP subject, legacy IPTC keywords and XMP hierarchical keywords. Check the origin application to see which metadata it writes. I doubt that this is related to Word documents.