Gimp 3.0 get Metadata with Python

Gimp 3.0 get Metadata with Python - Printable Version

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Gimp 3.0 get Metadata with Python - Volker - 11-08-2025

How do I retrieve jpg metadata from a Python plug-in in Gimp 3.0?

I open a jpg photo and need some metadata. With Gimp 2 and Python 2 I used the plug-in "gimp_image_get_metadata".
My code was (abridged):

Code:

import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET

metadata = pdb.gimp_image_get_metadata(self.image)

dateTag  = "exif.photo.datetimeoriginal"

date = self.get_metadata_value(metadata, dateTag)

def get_metadata_value(self, metadata,

                             metadataName):

  ciName = metadataName.lower()

  value = ""

  rootNode = ET.XML(metadata)

  for tag in rootNode.findall('tag'):

    if tag.attrib['name'].lower() == ciName:

      value = tag.text

      break

  return value

The plug-in isn't there any more in Gimp 3. Instead I find the class Gimp.Metadata. This class provides some methods for restricted operations, but none for my needs. I try:

Code:

metadata = image.get_metadata()

I expect to get an xml document, but I don't know how to look for it.
Is there a different approach?

My system: Mac mini (Apple M2), macOS Tahoe (26.0.1)
My Gimp: 3.0.6
My Python: 3.10

RE: Gimp 3.0 get Metadata with Python - Volker - 11-09-2025

In the meantime I think there must be a buggy Gimp.Image.serialize().

It seems to be an xml string, but Python's minidom as well as elementtree throw a parse error reading the string.

I help myself with searching the string with string functions, but it feels like computing with an abacus:

Code:

def get_metadata_value(image, tag):

  metadata = image.get_metadata().serialize()

  valueStartPos = metadata.find(tag) + len(tag) + 2

  valueStart = metadata[valueStartPos:]

  value = valueStart[:valueStart.find("<")]

  return value

RE: Gimp 3.0 get Metadata with Python - CmykStudent - 11-09-2025

Volker: Hi! This appears to be a bug that will be fixed for the next release. More info here: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gimp/-/issues/15179