Description Explorer

Introduction

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

Features, benefits and uses

New Version 0.5.2 released, this version contains major bugfixes that makes the overall software much more stable.
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)

Included tools

Metaexplore

Graphical file manager and Windows explorer clone that permits identification of different files, as well as extracting and modifying the metadata associated with those files.

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 supported.
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.
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 and CSV reports
Full unicode support
Create CSV and SFV compatible reports (Professional version only)
Native Drag and Drop support (Professional version only)

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

Permits synchronizing metadata from different sources. Also supports exporting the metadata to different formats simultaneously. Currently supports NTFS SummaryInfo streams, embedded metadata, PAD Specification metadata, sidecar XMP files as well as DEX Databases.

Supports viewing complete file information, including audio channels, sampling rate, image resolution, bitrate, and version information, etc.
Supports modifying most standard dublincore metadata elements, as defined in ISO 15836; dc:title, dc:creator, dc:subject, dc:contributor, dc:language, dc:description, etc ...
Full unicode support.

DOMView

Application that permits viewing several file formats at the binary level as a DOM tree containing hexadecimal values. Useful for indepth analysis of contents of files.

Currently can read/parse and display as DOM Trees 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, OLE files, OGG files, Flash files and ID3 binary data

Tools

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

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)
renameto: Permits to modify and rename ressources according to internal metadata (when supported)

Operating system add-ons

Additional plugins that can be used in Windows explorer,The following shell extensions are available:

Property sheet handler to modify the DEX Database (all windows versions)
Column handler for displaying metadata fields directly in Windows Explorer (Windows 2000+)

License

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 $35.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.

Support, update and upgrade availability

Those that have purchased the professional 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.

Specifications

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

Bugs

You can submit and view bug reports here

Download

Help support this software by making a donation!

You can download a BETA Freeware Test version (version 0.5.2) for Windows 32-bit here