Description explorer

Introduction

Description explorer is a collection of tools for metadata and file management for Windows/Win32 operating systems.

Features, benefits and uses

• Easily classify and search multimedia files (pictures, audio files, etc.).

• Create reports (in html, sfv) of resources (files and directories). This option is quite useful for archiving data on read-only media.

• Fast realtime search engine for searching metadata as well as filenames

• The metadata is fully compatible with the dublincore metadata standard. Useful feature for people who work in professional organisations (such as libraries).

• Export the metadata to different formats (Adobe xmp, DEX Database, JPEG files and MP3 files)

• It is strongly suggested to use tools that are compatible with the DEX Database when moving/copying/renaming files if the DEX Database is used. Such tools are 4NT

Download

You can download a BETA Freeware Test version (version 0.5.1) for Windows 32-bit here

Specifications

Specifications for the magic database file, and other specifications related to the DEX database format can be found here

Bug reporting

You can submit and view bug reports here

Included tools

Metaexplore

Application that can be used as a simple file manager, that can also be used to identify files, view metadata of files and possibly edit this metadata. Some of the features of this software :

• Extract and view metadata from about 20 major files formats and identifies about more than 120+ file formats, possibly extracting the metadata. Support for extracting Adobe XMP Metadata from several file formats is also implemented.

• Support for storing the extracted Metadata to a DEX Database (The DEX Database is a file that contains different data elements (stored as XMP), that is fully compatible with 4DOS Descript.ion files.

• Edit the DEX Database entires (include the standard 4DOS Description files)

• Optionally, also modify the internal metadata of some file formats (Currently supports both JPEG – with XMP - and MP3 files)

• Standard file manager operations (copy, move, rename, delete) that automatically updates the 4DOS/4NT Descript.ion file when moving, copying, renaming and deleting files.

• Fast metadata search on titles, dates and filenames.

• UNIQUE feature that permits viewing all directories and sub-directories as a single flat file listing, which permits easy searching, editing and classification

• Generate simple HTML reports

• Metadata in unicode is fully supported

Suggestion for Command Shell replacement: 4NT/4DOS/4OS2 (4NT 6.01 Build 242 or later) is the recommended shell replacement when moving/copying and describing files since the metadata database is fully compatible with Description explorer and all metadata will be kept.

Metaedit

Metaedit is a metadata importer and viewer which supports modifying most metadata elements found today and in different several formats, therefore it easily synchronizing metadata elements from different sources.

• Supports viewing complete file information, including audio channels, sampling rate, image resolution, bitrate, and version information, etc.

• Metadata is extracted from the DEX Database, 4DOS Descript.ion files, NTFS Property streams, directly from within the files (30+ major file formats are supported), ASP's Portable Application Description (PAD) files, Adobe XMP Sidecar files.

• Supports modifying most standard dublincore metadata elements, as defined in ISO 15836 , Dublin core metadata element set (dc:title, dc:creator, dc:subject, dc:contributor, dc:language, dc:description, etc ...).

• Saves the metadata to sidecar XMP files, PAD files, DEX Database, in the file itself (when supported), and in NTFS Property set storage.

• Metadata in unicode is fully supported

DOMView (Windows only)

Application that permits viewing several file formats at the binary level as a DOM tree. This is mainly useful for programmers. Currently can read/parse and display as DOM Trees the following files:

• Microsoft/IBM RIFF Files, including WAVE and AVI files
• Electronic Arts IFF files, including ILBM, AIFF, 8SVX
• JPEG files (JFIF)
• PNG files
• XML files
• TIFF files
• OLE files
• TIFF files
• ASF files
• ID3 binary data (this is not the same as MP3 files, as it should only include the ID3 data)

Tools

Sets of command-line tools for manipulating resources on disk, also takes care of updating the Description database.

• dmv: Move resources from one location to another.
• dcp: Copy resources from one location to another.
• drm: Remove resources from disk.
• dedit: Batch edit the Description database as well as modify the internal metadata of a resource (when supported)

DEX Database shared library

The software package includes a shared library that can be used to extract and store data in the DEX Database. The specification of the DEX Database format is described here.

Full API documentation is included

Operating system add-ons (Windows only)

Additional plugins that can be used in Windows explorer, either in standard more or in WebView mode. The following plugins are available:

• Property sheet handler to modify the DEX Database (all windows versions)

• Column handler for displaying 4DOS Descript.ion / DEX Database title field (Windows 2000+)

• WebView for viewing file system in Web mode in Internet Explorer 4.01 and later

Licensing and usage terms

Support, update and upgrade availability

Those that have purchased the commercial version are guaranteed to have support priority, as well as updates until the next version major version is released (updates are free of charge until version 2.0 is released. Upgrades will be done at competitive prices(at least 25% less than the regular price).

Individual users

Individual users are allowed to use this software for personal home use free of charge as long as they wish. In this case the license is the same as a freeware license. If you wish support and professional options, consider purchasing the professional version. The professional version costs $25.Cdn.

For all other users (governmental, commercial, etc)

The freeware version should not be used in a commercial environment, unless it is to evaluate the software for a maximum period of 30 days. Otherwise, the professional version is required: It costs $50 Cdn. per license.