In the Switch context, metadata is descriptive information about a job (file or job folder) in a structured electronic form. Metadata is often used to store administrative information associated with a job, and to exchange such information between systems. Metadata can be distinguished from the job contents proper, even if it happens to be embedded in the job.
Historically, metadata has been stored in various proprietary or standard formats. TIFF, EXIF and IPTC tags (often found in image files) are classic examples. More recently, the industry has moved to store metadata as XML, building on the strengths of this ubiquitous format. JDF and Adobe XMP, two XML-based formats, are often used in the publishing industry in addition to generic XML.
Switch recognizes three categories of metadata depending on the storage mechanism used to convey the information, as described in the following table.
Category |
Description |
|---|---|
Internal |
Switch-specific information stored in the internal job ticket for each job; for example hierarchy info and email info |
Embedded |
Metadata that is embedded inside the job (as part of the file); for example EXIF or IPTC tags, or an embedded Adobe XMP packet; see Embedded metadata. |
| External | Metadata that travels with the job but is stored as a distinct entity; for example an XML or JDF file, or a standalone Adobe XMP packet (possibly extracted from the job file); see External metadata. |
Switch supports working with metadata in various ways as defined in the following table.
| Feature | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Internal job ticket | Maintaining hierarchy info, email info and other internal metadata used by the Switch tools |
| Variables | Read-only access to embedded metadata (EXIF, IPTC, XMP) and file information |
| Pick-up and export | Picking up external metadata (XML, JDF, XMP) from foreign sources and exporting it for external use |
| Scripting | Read-write access to embedded metadata and external metadata |