Unfortunately, Exiv2 is executed on each single image by a Windows database tool, FileLocatorPro. As the database tool chooses to extract each file metadata, I use a script to run Exiv2 on to capture IPTC keywords and filename. I can't run a quantity of image files in one Exiv2 execution. So my Windows batch script for exiv2 is as follows

basename %1 >%2
exiv2.exe" -q -g "Iptc.Application2.Keywords" %1 | sed -e "s/Iptc...Keywords[ \t]String[ \t][0-9][ \t]*//;" >> %2

As shown, I am also executing "basename" to capture the name. For over 20k image files, the execution of a batch file running three sub programs on each image takes significant time. If I could reduce the number of separate sub programs, that would save a lot.

I would like there to be another option to also emit just the filename and extension as you have suggested for -Pf and the keywords. For example

image01.jpg
Bob Smith
Cancun Mexico
July '25

In a totally utopian desire, if Exiv2 could extract like the example above, avoiding "basename", "sed", and the extraneous "Iptc.Application2.Keywords..." I would be in heaven, so to speak.

Thanks for your input,
Mark

I am not familiar with FileLocatorPro and I haven't used DOS/cmd.exe scripting in the last 10 years. Can you create a file list for subsequent processing by exiv2 in a single invocation.

rmdir/s/q temp
mkdir temp
echo "exiv2 options " > temp/exiv2Files.bat
while FileLocatorPro ..... >> temp/exiv2Files.bat
temp/exiv2Files.bat > temp/exiv2Output.txt
myPythonScript temp/exiv2Output.txt

FileLocatorPro invokes a index file generator. That generator chooses a subtask to extract info from all sorts of files, docs, pdfs, mp4s. Exiv2 is the subtaks for image files. Each subtask works on one file per invocation to create file text or metadata from the source file which is analyzed and stored by the index file generator. Exiv2 is just one of the subtasks. There is no way to cause the file generator to work on multiple files in one invocation. File lists are internal to the index file generator.

I just thought this would be easy for the development team, such as your -Pflgs suggestion. Sorry for the inconvenience.

@McVette Thanks for your explanation. Adding -Pf to exiv2.cpp would be straightforward, however I have retired and will not undertake the development of this feature.

It sounds as though FileLocatorPro uses the dentist's method (pull them out one at a time). If nobody volunteers to implement exiv2 -Pf, perhaps FileLocatorPro has a feature to create a "file list" to defer execution of exiv2.