# exiftool-rs
[](https://crates.io/crates/exiftool-rs)
[](https://docs.rs/exiftool-rs)
[](LICENSE)
A pure Rust reimplementation of [ExifTool](https://exiftool.org/) — read, write, and edit metadata in image, audio, video, and document files. No unsafe code, no Perl dependency, no system libraries.
## Features
- **194/194 test files (100%)** produce identical tag names as Perl ExifTool v13.52
- **55+ format readers**: JPEG, TIFF, PNG, CR2, CR3, CRW, PSD, WebP, HEIF/AVIF, MP4/MOV, AVI, MKV, MTS, PDF, WAV, FLAC, MP3, OGG, BMP, GIF, DNG, NEF, ARW, ORF, RAF, RW2, PEF, X3F, IIQ, EIP, MIE, MIFF, MRC, DICOM, WTV, DjVu, BPG, XCF, LFP, FPF, and more
- **15 format writers**: JPEG, TIFF, PNG, WebP, PSD, PDF, MP4, MKV, AVI, WAV, FLAC, MP3, OGG, CR2, HEIF/AVIF
- **15+ MakerNote manufacturers**: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Olympus, Panasonic, Fujifilm, Samsung, Sigma, Casio, Ricoh, Minolta, Apple, Google, FLIR, GE, GoPro
- **Deep sub-table decoders**: Canon ColorData/CustomFunctions/ShotInfo, Nikon NikonCapture/ScanIFD, Panasonic RW2, Pentax CameraSettings, and more
- **Specialized parsers**: GoPro GPMF, InfiRay thermal, FlashPix/OLE, Canon VRD/CIFF, MPF, MIE, Lytro LFP, FLIR FPF, Sigma X3F, CaptureOne EIP, and more
- **No unsafe code**, minimal dependencies
## Library Usage
```rust
use exiftool_rs::ExifTool;
let et = ExifTool::new();
let tags = et.extract_info("photo.jpg").unwrap();
for tag in &tags {
println!("{}: {}", tag.name, tag.print_value);
}
```
## CLI Usage
```bash
# Install
cargo install exiftool-rs
# Read metadata
exiftool-rs photo.jpg
# Short tag names
exiftool-rs -s photo.jpg
# JSON output
exiftool-rs -j photo.jpg
# Write tags
exiftool-rs -Artist="John Doe" -Copyright="2024" photo.jpg
# Show groups
exiftool-rs -G photo.jpg
# Numeric values
exiftool-rs -n photo.jpg
```
## CLI Options
| `-s` | Short tag names |
| `-s2` | Very short (tag names only) |
| `-G` | Show group names |
| `-n` | Numeric output (no print conversion) |
| `-j` | JSON output |
| `-csv` | CSV output |
| `-X` | XML/RDF output |
| `-b` | Binary output (thumbnails, etc.) |
| `-r` | Recursively scan directories |
| `-ext EXT` | Process only files with extension EXT |
| `-TAG` | Extract specific tag(s) |
| `-ver` | Show version |
| `-TAG=VALUE` | Write tag |
| `-TAG=` | Delete tag |
| `-overwrite_original` | Overwrite without backup |
| `-stay_open True` | Keep running, read commands from stdin |
## Testing
```bash
# Unit tests
cargo test
# ISO-functional test against Perl ExifTool's 194 test files
# No Perl required — reference files included in tests/expected/
./scripts/test_iso.sh
# 194/194 files (100%) produce identical tag names — 11625 tags verified
```
## Building
```bash
git clone https://github.com/Le-Syl21/exiftool-rs
cd exiftool-rs
cargo build --release
```
## License
GPL-3.0-or-later (same as the original Perl ExifTool)
## Authors
- **Sylvain** ([@Le-Syl21](https://github.com/Le-Syl21)) — Project creator
- **Claude** (Anthropic) — Implementation
## Acknowledgements
Based on [ExifTool](https://exiftool.org/) by Phil Harvey.
Tag tables and print conversions are generated from the ExifTool Perl source.