git-annex-metadata - sets or gets metadata of a file

       Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>

                                                                                           git-annex-metadata(1)

       The content of an annexed file can have any number of metadata fields attached to it to describe it. Each
       metadata field can in turn have any number of values.

       This command can be used to set metadata, or show the currently set metadata.

       When run without any -s or -t parameters, displays the current metadata.

       Each  metadata field has its own "field-lastchanged" metadata, which contains the date the field was last
       changed. Unlike other metadata, this  cannot  be  directly  modified  by  this  command.  It  is  updated
       automatically.

       Note  that  the  metadata  is  attached to git-annex key corresponding to the content of a file, not to a
       particular filename on a particular git branch.  All files with the same key  share  the  same  metadata,
       which is stored in the git-annex branch. If a file is modified, the metadata of the previous version will
       be copied to the new key when git-annex adds the modified file.

       To set some tags on a file and also its author:

        git annex metadata annexscreencast.ogv -t video -t screencast -s author+=Alice

       git-annex-metadata - sets or gets metadata of a file

-gfield / --getfield

              Get the value(s) of a single field.

              The  values  will  be  output one per line, with no other output, so this is suitable for use in a
              script.

       -sfield=value / --setfield=value
              Set a field's value, removing any old values.

       -sfield+=value / --setfield+=value
              Add an additional value, preserving any old values.

       -sfield?=value / --setfield?=value
              Set a value, but only if the field does not already have a value set.

       -sfield-=value / --setfield-=value
              Remove a value from a field, leaving any other values that the field has set.

       -rfield / --removefield
              Remove all current values of the field.

       -ttag / --tagtag
              Set a tag. Note that a tag is just a value of the "tag" field.

       -utag / --unsettag
              Unset a tag.

       --remove-all
              Remove all metadata from the specified files.

              When a file is modified and the new version added, git-annex will copy over the metadata from  the
              old version of the file. In situations where you don't want that copied metadata, you can use this
              option to remove it.

       --force
              By  default,  gitannexmetadata  refuses  to recursively set metadata throughout the files in a
              directory. This option enables such recursive setting.

       matching options
              The git-annex-matching-options(1) can be used to control what to act on.

       --all-A
              Specify instead of a file to get/set metadata on all known keys.

       --branch=ref
              Specify instead of a file to get/set metadata on all files in the specified branch or treeish.

       --unused
              Specify instead of a file to get/set metadata on files found by last run of git-annex unused.

       --key=keyname
              Specify instead of a file to get/set metadata of the specified key.

       --json Enable JSON output (and input). Each line is a JSON object.

              The format of the JSON objects changed in git-annex version 6.20160726.

              Example of the new format:

               {"command":"metadata","file":"foo","key":"...","fields":{"author":["bar"],...},"note":"...","success":true}

              Example of the old format, which lacks the inner fields object:

               {"command":"metadata","file":"foo","key":"...","author":["bar"],...,"note":"...","success":true}

       --json-error-messages
              Messages that would normally be output to standard error are included in the JSON instead.

       --batch
              Enables batch mode, which can be used to both get, store, and unset metadata for multiple files or
              keys.

              Batch currently only supports JSON input. So, you must enable --json along with --batch.

              In batch mode, git-annex reads lines from stdin, which contain JSON objects. It  replies  to  each
              input  annexed  file with an output JSON object. (But if the file is not an annexed file, an empty
              line will be output.)

              The format of the JSON sent to git-annex can be the same as  the  JSON  that  it  outputs.  Or,  a
              simplified version. Only the "file" (or "key") field is actually necessary.

              For example, to get the current metadata of file foo:

               {"file":"foo"}

              To get the current metadata of the key k:

               {"key":"k"}

              Any  metadata  fields  included  in  the JSON object will be stored, replacing whatever values the
              fields had before.  To unset a field, include it with an empty list of values.

              To change the author of file foo to bar:

               {"file":"foo","fields":{"author":["bar"]}}

              To remove the author of file foo:

               {"file":"foo","fields":{"author":[]}}

       Also the git-annex-common-options(1) can be used.

git-annex(1)

       git-annex-view(1)

       git annex metadata [path...]