Need Aliases for Finder tags "Where from" and "Created"

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Need Aliases for Finder tags "Where from" and "Created"

I discovered a really cool tool (ExifTool) that can extract metadata from a folder filled with files downloaded from the Internet. However, I'm having a problem with certain tags.

If the command line includes -Title -Author, then it will export the titles and author (if any) of all of the files.

However, these commands don't work: -WhereFroms -DownloadedDate

If I open the folder in Finder and click on an icon, the metadata listed on the right includes "Where from" (the source URL) and "Created" (which I believe is the date I downloaded it).

Accordingly, I've tried variations including -Where, -WhereFroms, -Source, -URL, -Created and -Date, all without success. Does anyone have a clue what aliases I should be using?

MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.14

Posted on Dec 22, 2019 5:52 AM

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Answer 1

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Barney-15E

Level 10

113,100 points

Dec 22, 2019 6:18 AM in response to Chavista

Not knowing the capabilities of ExifTool, I would assume it is gathering EXIF metadata, not Finder metadata (really, Spotlight metadata).

EXIF was primarily designed for image files to attach all of the photographical information associated with the image. It is not the basis for Finder metadata which stores the information you are looking for.

The "alias" for Where From is kMDItemWhereFroms.

If ExifTool is designed to read and process Finder metadata, then you'd have to ask them what to use for it.

You can view Finder metadata using the metadata list (mdls) command in Terminal.

Type mdls, leave a space, then drag a file into the Terminal window. Hit return.

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Answer 2

Dec 22, 2019 6:11 AM in response to Chavista

The third-party exiftool is not using Apple's Spotlight keywords, but rather those defined within the EXIF standard data fields stored within the image. So your asking for a Spotlight keyword in exiftool is futile. Not every file downloaded from the Internet has the following kMDItemWhereFroms data within it, and if that data is present, it may be duplicated.

mdls -name kMDItemWhereFroms foo.jpg

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Need Aliases for Finder tags "Where from" and "Created"

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