Photo CLI

A command line tool for organizing photo and video files using glob patterns and path templates.

• Photo CLI
• Installation
• Usage
  • Import
    • List of available template properties
      • from tempalte properties
        • Extensions
      • to template properties
        • Dates
    • Template and preset configuration
      • Example config
• Commands
  • photo config
  • photo help [COMMAND]
  • photo import [PRESET]

Installation

Make sure NodeJS and npm is installed and run:

npm install -g photo-cli

Usage

Import

The import command copies/moves files from an input directory to an output destination. The input/output paths of each file are determined using a mustache template:

my-tempalte:
  - from: "{{input}}/*.jpg"
    to: "{{output}}/Pictures/{{filename}}"

A template consists of an array of from/to pairs where the rendered from string is used as a glob pattern to find input files and the rendered to string is used as the output path.

Each file is analyzed using ExifTool to extract image/video metadata. The extracted metadata is passed along when rendering the path template allowing you to use the metadata for the output path:

my-tempalte:
  - from: "{{input}}/*.jpg"
    to: "{{output}}/Pictures/{{year}}-{{month}}-{{day}}/{{filename}}"

In the example above the extracted date information is used for the name of the output directory.

List of available template properties

from tempalte properties

| Name | Description | | --------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | input | The input path provided using the preset or the --input flag. | | output | The output path provided using the preset or the --output flag. | | project | The project name provided using the --project flag. | | ext | Object containing different glob patterns for common media file extensions. |

Extensions

The from template receives glob patterns for common media file extensions in the ext object: ext.images, ext.raws, ext.allImages, ext.video, ext.allMedia. See `src/lib/template.ts for more info. You can also provide your own glob pattern:

// Get all .png files
*.png

// Get .png and .PNG files
*.{png,PNG}

to template properties

You can run the import command with the --verbose flag to see the template properties that are used for each file:

photo import --input . --template my-template --verbose

Here is an overview of the available properties: | Name | Description | | ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | exif | Object containing the extracted exif metadata. You can access the properties using javascript dot notation e.g. exif.FileName. | | filename | The name of the file with extension. Same as exif.FileName. | | dirname | Base name of the parent directory of the file (not the full path) |

Dates

For each file the CreateDate property from the exif metadata is parsed and provided to the template with the following properties: year, month, day, hour, minute, second. Additionally, you can use custom formatting using the function syntax of mustache:

{{# date}}yyyy-MM-dd{{/ date}}

The string between the date tags will be formated using date-fns.

In addition to date, two more dates will be passed along: f_date (first date) and l_date (last date) (as well as f_year/l_year, etc.). They are the dates of the earliest/latest image/video being imported and can be used to group files taken over a longer period of time.

Template and preset configuration

The import command relies on presets and templates that are defined in the photo-cli config file. You can edit the file by running photo config and opening the file in your favorite text editor.

The config file is a yaml file with the following format:

presets:
  <name>:
    input: <input path> 
    output: <output path> 
    template: <tempalte name> 
templates:
  <name>:
    - from: <from template> 
      to: <to template> 

Templates are configured as described above. Presets can be used to provide default values for import command flags --input, --output, and --template.

Example config

presets:
  canon:
    input: F:/DCIM/100CANON
    output: M:/Pictures
    template: date 
templates:
  date:
    - from: "{{input}}/{{ext.allMedia}}"
      to: "{{output}}/{{year}}-{{month}}-{{day}}/{{filename}}"

The above config contains a preset for importing files from an SD card used in a Canon camera to a pictures directory using a date preset that organizes files in directories by date. Files can be imported using this preset with the following command:

photo import canon

Commands

• photo config
• photo help [COMMAND]
• photo import [PRESET]

photo config

Edit the photo-cli config.

USAGE
  $ photo config

DESCRIPTION
  Edit the photo-cli config.

See code: dist/commands/config.ts

photo help [COMMAND]

Display help for photo.

USAGE
  $ photo help [COMMAND] [-n]

ARGUMENTS
  COMMAND  Command to show help for.

FLAGS
  -n, --nested-commands  Include all nested commands in the output.

DESCRIPTION
  Display help for photo.

See code: @oclif/plugin-help

photo import [PRESET]

Imports files from the input directory to the output directory using a path template.

USAGE
  $ photo import [PRESET] [-i <value>] [-o <value>] [-t <value>] [-P <value>] [-p <value>] [-c] [-m] [-f]
    [-v]

FLAGS
  -P, --preset=<value>    name of the import preset
  -c, --confirm           performs the import without additional user confirmation
  -f, --force             overwrite existing files in output directory
  -i, --input=<value>     input path
  -m, --move              move files instead of copy
  -o, --output=<value>    output path
  -p, --project=<value>   the project name of the import
  -t, --template=<value>  name of the template config
  -v, --verbose

DESCRIPTION
  Imports files from the input directory to the output directory using a path template.

EXAMPLES
  $ photo import

See code: dist/commands/import.ts

• Photo CLI
• Installation
• Usage
  • Import
    • List of available template properties
      • from tempalte properties
        • Extensions
      • to template properties
        • Dates
    • Template and preset configuration
      • Example config
• Commands
  • photo config
  • photo help [COMMAND]
  • photo import [PRESET]

photo config

Edit the photo-cli config.

USAGE
  $ photo config

DESCRIPTION
  Edit the photo-cli config.

See code: dist/commands/config.ts

photo help [COMMAND]

Display help for photo.

USAGE
  $ photo help [COMMAND] [-n]

ARGUMENTS
  COMMAND  Command to show help for.

FLAGS
  -n, --nested-commands  Include all nested commands in the output.

DESCRIPTION
  Display help for photo.

See code: @oclif/plugin-help

photo import [PRESET]

Imports files from the input directory to the output directory using a path template.

USAGE
  $ photo import [PRESET] [-i <value>] [-o <value>] [-t <value>] [-P <value>] [-p <value>] [-c] [-m] [-f]
    [-v]

FLAGS
  -P, --preset=<value>    name of the import preset
  -c, --confirm           performs the import without additional user confirmation
  -f, --force             overwrite existing files in output directory
  -i, --input=<value>     input path
  -m, --move              move files instead of copy
  -o, --output=<value>    output path
  -p, --project=<value>   the project name of the import
  -t, --template=<value>  name of the template config
  -v, --verbose

DESCRIPTION
  Imports files from the input directory to the output directory using a path template.

EXAMPLES
  $ photo import

See code: dist/commands/import.ts