IPTC Keywords are not comma delimited?

Question

IPTC Keywords are not comma delimited?

I like the fact that I can now export my photos and get the keywords added to the IPTC keywords field in the JPG.

But! Why are the keywords not comma delimited? When I have used other programs (like Photoshop Elements 3) to add keywords, they are stored as comma delimited. But iPhoto just puts spaces between the keywords, and when I upload them to Flickr, they get treated as one multi-word tag instead of individual tags.

The IPTC specification I found says:
+2:25 Keywords+
+Repeatable, maximum 64 octets, consisting of graphic characters plus spaces.+

+Used to indicate specific information retrieval words.+

+Each keyword uses a single Keywords DataSet. Multiple keywords use multiple Keywords DataSets.+

Can this be fixed?

iMac 2.4GHz, Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Sep 12, 2007 11:23 PM

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Answer 1

Old Toad

Level 10

215,346 points

Sep 13, 2007 10:50 AM in response to Brenda Anderson1

Brenda:

You'll have to request that at http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphoto.html

Do you Twango?

TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've written an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

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Answer 2

Sep 13, 2007 12:21 PM in response to Old Toad

Thanks. I sent it in.

Old Toad wrote:
Brenda:

You'll have to request that at http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphoto.html

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Answer 3

Alley_Cat

Level 7

20,560 points

Sep 13, 2007 1:01 PM in response to Brenda Anderson1

So is the comma separation an IPTC standard or is it just what Flickr likes and PS3 accomodates?

A bit of a clumsy workaround but if iPhoto accepted a , at the end of a tag eg

holiday,

you might then get a comma separated list which would work for flickr.

AC

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Answer 4

Sep 13, 2007 1:41 PM in response to Alley_Cat

Thanks!

Trying your workaround pointed out to me that I was being an idiot.

Turns out that I was adding my keywords in iPhoto by typing in the keywords with a space separating them (as you do when adding tags to Flickr). iPhoto then interpreted that as one multi-word keyword. When I added the keywords by typing a comma after each word, individual keywords were created, and the IPTC data does indeed end up comma-delimited.

I should have known that Apple wouldn't have messed up the IPTC specifications that way.

Thanks for the comments.

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Answer 5

Alley_Cat

Level 7

20,560 points

Sep 13, 2007 2:57 PM in response to Brenda Anderson1

Glad it worked - I might have realised if I'd tried it myself, but I'm awful at organising and keywording/tagging things!

AC

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