How to make a synonym non-exportable in import keyword list file?

[Onflipflops]

I am creating an extensive keyword list.
Now I have tested a few things, and one thing doesn't seem to work properly (at least in my opinion.)

Some of my keywords are not supposed to be exported. E.g. location information I do not want to share.

Now I know this works with brackets: [non-exportable keyword]
But I also want to add synonyms to these non-exportable keywords.
But then I get in trouble. Normally synonyms are added to keywords as follows: {synonym}
When I add a synonym to the non-exportable keyword. And then import my keyword list into lightroom.
It will indeed not export the [non-exportable keyword] but by default it still will export the {synonym} of this [non-exportable keyword].

I can manually edit each non-exportable keyword to say not to export its synonyms. But to do that for a LOOONG keyword list is a pain, and anyhow upon future export of the keyword list and re-import it you will have to do it all over gain...

Is there any way to make the synonyms of non-exportable keywords automatically non-exportable?

And correct me if I am wrong, but shouldn't that be standard behaviour? If I tell lightroom a keyword should not be exported, I think it is very likely that any synonyms of that same keyword should not be exported either.

Hopefully this question makes sense.

I have tried to do things like:
[{synonym}] or {[synonym]} but both do not give the desired effect.

 

[johnbeardy]

Have you tried creating a non-exporting keyword and synonym in Lr, then exporting the keywords and examining the output?

But being exportable is a property of the keyword itself, not of the synonym.

 

[LouieSherwin]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I don't think that the syntax of the keywork.txt file supports what you want. I just did a test with my keywords by doing an export from my master catalog and importing the result into a test catalog and had the same thing occur.

This seems like a bug and if not already reported should be. I have to look at the feedback site to see.

-louie

 

[LouieSherwin]

John,

I have quite a few "private" keywords in my list that have synonyms also marked as "do not export". As described above this attribute does not carry through the export/import keywords.

-louie

 

[Onflipflops]

Yes I had also already tested to export it from the keyword list in Lightroom, as there you can manually set the synonyms not to be exported.
But there is no difference in syntax. And once you import the file you just exported, the synonyms will not be 'private'.

A shame.

As I said, you'd expect the default to be that synonyms of a 'private' keyword would be private as well. Hopefully the lighroom crew can fix this. It seems more logic to me that way.


Even if it would just allow you to ad the synonyms as {[private synonym]} would have been great...

 

[johnbeardy]

So to put it another way, when one creates an exported keyword list with a keyword set not to export, importing the list to a new catalogue sets that keyword so it exports synonyms. If that keyword is applied to an image which is exported, the synonym gets written into the exported image? Is that right?

I must admit, I have investigated these methods but always preferred not to build complexity into my keyword list and have very little hierarchy.

John

 

[Onflipflops]

So to put it another way, when one creates an exported keyword list with a keyword set not to export, importing the list to a new catalogue sets that keyword so it exports synonyms. If that keyword is applied to an image which is exported, the synonym gets written into the exported image? Is that right?

I must admit, I have investigated these methods but always preferred not to build complexity into my keyword list and have very little hierarchy.

John

Yes that is right. I hope for you that you did not share any private information if you ever followed this procedure...
Well, in the end my keyword hierarchy is not complex, but being a wildlife photographer sometimes photographing endangered species for which I prefer not to share the location, I think it is useful to have a list of private locations just for my own sake.

But I have just thought of a way. Since the private keywords are primarily for my own use, I will just create two location lists which basically contain the same information, only one list is totally private, and will not have any synonyms. So for my on use I just need to stick to the one name of a location, no shorter names, or differently spelled naming. And another list for the cases where exporting the location is fine. In that case it can have as many synonyms as I like so it will make the images easier searchable for other users.

 

[LouieSherwin]

I just created problem report for this issue.

Lightroom: Import Keyword synonyms problem

 

[Onflipflops]

I just created problem report for this issue.

Lightroom: Import Keyword synonyms problem

Thanks Louie
Hopefully they will fix this.

Anyway, I have just done some testing, and for my situation, my new solution is probably anyhow the best. The search function in lightroom works good enough.

I have now a location hierarchy under which is totally private. No synonyms used, anyhow the lightroom search function has no trouble if I only type a part of the keyword. So for my own use I won't need the synonyms.
And then I have the same list which is not private for the cases I do not mind to share locations. This list has exact the same locations. And when I search in the catalog it will find both the images with the private keyword as well as the non-private ones.

So that will do

Still, in my opinion synonyms should automatically be private if they are synonyms of a private keyword.
So let's hope they fix that.

 

[johnbeardy]

Yes that is right. I hope for you that you did not share any private information if you ever followed this procedure...
Well, in the end my keyword hierarchy is not complex, but being a wildlife photographer sometimes photographing endangered species for which I prefer not to share the location, I think it is useful to have a list of private locations just for my own sake.

But I have just thought of a way. Since the private keywords are primarily for my own use, I will just create two location lists which basically contain the same information, only one list is totally private, and will not have any synonyms. So for my on use I just need to stick to the one name of a location, no shorter names, or differently spelled naming. And another list for the cases where exporting the location is fine. In that case it can have as many synonyms as I like so it will make the images easier searchable for other users.

Have you thought of using custom fields? That's where my more-private information tends to be stored, because it's very hard to export, you can write longer pieces of text, and you can use it in the Library Filter or smart collections.

My Big Note plugin is designed as a starting point for people to learn to edit their own. If you're messing around with keyword lists, you would be able to cope with adding your own fields.

John

 

[LouieSherwin]

Hopefully they will fix this.

Please register at the feedback site and add your support and comments on this and any other keyword issues which are many.

But don't get your hopes up as most of the keyword suggestions and problems have been ignored by Adobe who apparently always have other priorities.

-louie