# Use of Exec Node to decipher EXIF metadata

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-exec-node-to-decipher-exif-metadata/94651>\
**Category:** General\
**Tags:** exec\
**Created:** [15 January 2025 17:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-exec-node-to-decipher-exif-metadata/94651 "2025-01-15T17:44:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sfmaplab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@sfmaplab](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/sfmaplab)\
**Post date:** [15 January 2025 17:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-exec-node-to-decipher-exif-metadata/94651/1 "2025-01-15T17:44:24Z")

</div>

Can the Node-Red Exec node handle shell scripts like EXIFTool metadata for photographs?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jbudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f8ce5/32.png) [@jbudd](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jbudd)\
**Post date:** [15 January 2025 18:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-exec-node-to-decipher-exif-metadata/94651/2 "2025-01-15T18:29:12Z")

</div>

Welcome to the forum @sfmaplab

> [@sfmaplab](#):
>
> Can the ... Exec node handle ... EXIFTool

Almost certainly it can do.

You should probably pass the name of the image file as msg.payload.  
In the exec node specify the full pathname of the script (which should be executable) and tick "Append msg.payload".

Give it a try and let us know how you get on!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sfmaplab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@sfmaplab](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/sfmaplab)\
**Post date:** [15 January 2025 18:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-exec-node-to-decipher-exif-metadata/94651/3 "2025-01-15T18:43:45Z")

</div>

thank you lbudd,

I tried that many different ways and it did not work.

However I found this web page today, which looks promisin:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sfmaplab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@sfmaplab](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/sfmaplab)\
**Post date:** [15 January 2025 18:45 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-exec-node-to-decipher-exif-metadata/94651/4 "2025-01-15T18:45:43Z")

</div>

Thank you jbudd,

I tried that many different ways and it did not work.

However I found this web page today, which looks promising:

[node-red-node-exif (node) - Node-RED](https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-node-exif)

Cheers

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jbudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f8ce5/32.png) [@jbudd](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jbudd)\
**Post date:** [15 January 2025 18:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-exec-node-to-decipher-exif-metadata/94651/5 "2025-01-15T18:57:49Z")

</div>

> [@sfmaplab](#):
>
> I tried that many different ways and it did not work.

This is what I got using the exec node

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/0/5/0516aee6695fe091830af4c4479a78677c787feb.png)

But if there is an exiftool node it's no doubt better than using the CLI script.  
Especially nice if it returns the exif data in Json format.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dceejay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dceejay/32/38_2.png) [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)\
**Post date:** [15 January 2025 20:02 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-exec-node-to-decipher-exif-metadata/94651/6 "2025-01-15T20:02:59Z")

</div>

hopefully the exif node will do what the OP requires, but if not you can also use the '-j' option to get the cli tool to return json which may be easier to parse that the simple text output.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sfmaplab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@sfmaplab](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/sfmaplab)\
**Post date:** [15 January 2025 20:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-exec-node-to-decipher-exif-metadata/94651/7 "2025-01-15T20:32:14Z")

</div>

Thank you, it is working so far, I will try what you say soon.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [16 March 2025 20:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-exec-node-to-decipher-exif-metadata/94651/8 "2025-03-16T20:32:29Z")

</div>

This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.