Import and extension case - JPG vs jpg

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Import and extension case - JPG vs jpg

I just found something quite odd in the way iPhoto 09 imports pictures from an SD card.

My camera uses upper case, so all the pictures have .JPG as extension, I've just verified the content of the SD card.

If the images are taken in normal landscape (horizontal) mode, then the files after import keep the .JPG extensions.

But if the images are taken in portrait (vertical) mode, then the resulting files in the iPhoto library will have their extensions as .jpg, in lower case.

This is quite odd, and I see no reason for this behaviour from iPhoto. It's not something terribly distressful, but I still believe that it's odd, and it shouldn't happen.

Ciao, Luca

iMac 27" and MBP 15" (late 2009), Mac OS X (10.6.3), iPhoto '09 with patches applied

Posted on Jun 1, 2010 7:46 AM

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Answer 1

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,972 points

Jun 1, 2010 8:29 AM in response to lucaberta

But if the images are taken in portrait (vertical) mode, then the resulting files in the iPhoto library will have their extensions as .jpg, in lower case

In this case you're not seeing your original file (which would have the JPG extension) you're seeing the Modiefied version. Your camera has an Auto-Rotate feature. However, the camera does not actually rotate any pixels in the file, but instead flags it with an instruction: "Display me this way". iPhoto, seeing the flag, reads the intention and creates a modified version.

But I would note that there is no difference whatever between JPEG and jpeg.

Regards

TD

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Answer 2

lucaberta Author

Level 1

18 points

Jun 1, 2010 8:59 AM in response to Yer_Man

Right Terence, iPhoto seems to not only honor the orientation bit, but also rewrites the file accordingly, which I am OK with.

What I am not OK with is iPhoto changing the case of the extension, and the extension only, the IMG_ at the filename prefix stays upper case.

Terence Devlin wrote:
But I would note that there is no difference whatever between JPEG and jpeg

well, no, and that's how I figured out about this bug!

I use a software to geotag pictures, PhotoLinker, and when I import an event from iPhoto into PhotoLinker, the sorting of the files seems to be going south for whatever reason. Maybe PhotoLinker should disregard the extension and only focus on the filename, yet the sorting comes out funny, and that's how I figured that iPhoto changed the case to the file extensions...

Thanks for your answer, in any case.

Ciao, Luca

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Answer 3

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,972 points

Jun 1, 2010 9:03 AM in response to lucaberta

You misunderstand.

but also rewrites the file accordingly, which I am OK with.

iPhoto doesn't "rewrite" the file. it makes a new one.

Your +original file+ will still have the JPG extension.

But you're seeing the jpg extension on the other - modified - version.

There is no bug. If Photo Linker has issues with JPG and jpg then you should consult the maker of that app.

Regards

TD

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Answer 4

lucaberta Author

Level 1

18 points

Jun 1, 2010 12:31 PM in response to Yer_Man

Terence Devlin wrote:
You misunderstand.

but also rewrites the file accordingly, which I am OK with.

iPhoto doesn't "rewrite" the file. it makes a new one.

then why the new file has an extension of a different case? Could they not simply copy the original filename instead of massaging the case of the extension only? This is what I don't understand.

There is no bug. If Photo Linker has issues with JPG and jpg then you should consult the maker of that app.

ah, there you go, I was sure you'd point fingers elsewhere, what a typical tactic.

Like it or not, this is an iPhoto bug my friend, I don't see why certain files have an uppercase extension and others have a lowercase extensions, since they have been taken in portrait mode. Does this make sense to you? Cause to me it doesn't.

Ciao, Luca

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Answer 5

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,972 points

Jun 1, 2010 12:39 PM in response to lucaberta

Define bug?

Regards

TD

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Answer 6

lucaberta Author

Level 1

18 points

Jun 1, 2010 12:55 PM in response to Yer_Man

The fact that certain files have an uppercase extension and others have a lowercase extensions, based on the fact they have been taken in portrait mode.

--Luca

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Answer 7

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,972 points

Jun 1, 2010 1:03 PM in response to lucaberta

But that's not what's happening.

The orientation of the file is of no relevance.

Your camera defaults to creating files with the Uppercase suffix.

Macs default to creating files with a Lowercase suffix.

The files you are concerned about are created by the Mac, and so follow the Mac default.

I'm not sure why you would expect the Mac to follow your Camera's default.

But it's not a bug, because the software is working the way the software is designed to do. It may not be the way you want it to be, but it is working the way it's designed to be.

And, given that this is an entirely cosmetic issue, because a jpeg is a JPEG is a jpeg, I'll finish on that note.

Regards

TD

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Answer 8

lucaberta Author

Level 1

18 points

Jun 1, 2010 1:13 PM in response to Yer_Man

I beg to differ. What you say might be true on a file system that disregards case, which is not true for the file system used in most Unix implementation including MacOS.

If my camera uses uppercase, then I'd like to see iPhoto preserve that, or otherwise change the case on all of the imported file, not only on the ones taken in portrait mode.

What I don't like to see is a mix of lower and upper case based on the fact that some extensions have been massaged for whatever reason. I frankly don't see why the original filename and extensions could not be kept.

I would agree with you if also the IMG_ part would be turned into lowercase, but the prefix stays the same. Then do that same thing for the suffix too. Simple as that.

I rest my case.

Ciao, Luca

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