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Documentation & User Guides | Fotoware

Adding fields to a namespace

Having created a namespace you can start creating fields and choosing their content types.

Creating new fields

  1. Right-click on the namespace you created and choose Add new field from the context menu.
  2. The following dialog opens: 

Setting the data type of a new field

  1. Select one of the following values from the Data type drop-down list: 

  • Text - Allows any text or combination of text and other characters and numbers to be input in the field. You can set the maximum number of characters allowed in the field, and if you'd like the field to appear as a sizeable box, you can choose Display as a multiline field.
  • Integer - Allows only integers (whole numbers). You can specify a minimum and maximum value for the field.
  • Real - Lets users input real numbers, including numbers with decimals. You can specify the minimum and maximum allowed values.
  • Date - Makes the field a date field. Users will see the date field formatted according to their operating system's regional settings, while the data date format is always stored as yyyymmdd in the XMP.
  • Boolean - Makes the field a boolean. Users can choose between the two values True and False (not 0 and 1). 
  1. You can define a regular expression to enforce a certain input format in the field. The expression can then be tested using the test field below. The field will turn red if the input is not valid and green when it is. For more information on creating regular expressions, see this Wikipedia article on regular expressions.

Note: Regex validation rules set in the Metadata Configuration are currently only honored by FotoStation, not FotoWeb.

  1. Open the Storage (XMP) tab.

MDC - choosing the field name

  1. Enter a value in the Field name fieldThis name is only used internally in the XML file and is not visible anywhere else. You will set a label that is visible to users later. Use only letters (upper or lower case) and numbers for the field name. It cannot begin with a number or contain spaces.
  2. From the Field type drop-down list, select one of the following options:
  • Single: A single line of text. This is the format previously used for almost all IPTC fields. Note that the field’s length is set in the window on the Format page.
  • Single (struct member): Same as for Single, but this field type, together with some other fields, belongs to a group (a “structure”). An example could be a group of address information (the struct would be “address”) where the fields Street name, Street number, Zip code, City, and Country would be Single (struct member).
  • Sequence: This is a repeatable field (bag) where the sequence in which the metadata is entered is saved.
  • Bag: This field is a repeatable field like the Sequence type, but where the order in which the metadata is entered is irrelevant. Typical bag fields are Keywords and Supplemental category, part of the default metadata configuration that ships with the Fotoware software.
  • Bag of struct: Currently only available for use in FotoStation. For more information, see Creating bag of struct fields for use in FotoStation.

You will typically use the Single or Bag type for most fields. 

  1. Next, you must assign a label to the field. The label is the field name the user sees in the metadata editors throughout the Fotoware system. Go to the Field ID tab.

Setting a field ID and a display name

 

  1. Select a value from the ID drop-down list.  The ID number is used internally in the Fotoware applications for metadata editors, print templates, and so on. When you create a new field, you can choose an ID number from the drop-down list. Only available (i.e., unused) ID numbers are displayed. Custom fields may only be assigned an ID of 500 or higher.
  2. Enter a value in the Display name field. This is the label users see in text editors and panels throughout the software. If you have enabled additional languages on the Languages node in the metadata configuration, you can assign a localized label that will be shown if the user has chosen another program language or browser language than English.
  3. Select OK to save your changes.

Save your changes and restart services

After creating all the new fields you require, save the changes (File menu - Save configuration).

If the Fotoware services are running on the server, you must restart them, including the Operations Center service, to load the new field definitions.

Also, Index Manager's indexes must be rebuilt to "see" the new fields. If Index Manager runs on a different server than the one where you made changes to the Metadata configuration, you need to export the field definitions to the other server, restart the Index Manager service, and rebuild indexes there. See instructions below.

What's next?

Having created new metadata fields, you need to understand how to make all Fotoware servers and client applications use the new field definitions.

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