MetaInject

A small Python tool for assigning permanent IDs into files metadata and tracking everything in ID_RECS.csv. Useful for tracking items wich are constantly being renamed but needed an another pointer id.

What it does

• Scans Input/ for files
• Injects a persistent ID into each file
• Reuses existing IDs on later scans
• Detects renamed files by embedded ID
• Removes deleted files from the CSV on each scan
• Opens files by ID
• Shows the current record list in a table
• Supports custom ID injection through a file picker]

Files

File	Purpose
app\\test.py	Main scan/inject command
app\\open.py	Opens a file by ID
app\\show.py	Displays the current CSV records
app\\custom.py	Lets you pick a file and inject a custom ID
app\\metainject_core.py	Shared logic used by all scripts
run.bat	Windows menu launcher
ID_RECS.csv	ID registry generated by the app

Supported file types

• .jpg
• .jpeg
• .png
• .pdf
• Any other file type can still receive an ID using the fallback marker mode.

Installation

Install the required Python packages:

pip install Pillow piexif pypdf

Usage

Menu launcher

Run the Windows menu:

run.bat

Scan and inject IDs

python app\\test.py

This scans Input/, injects IDs, updates ID_RECS.csv, and prints a table of results.

Open a file by ID

python app\\open.py <ID>

Example:

python open.py 3

Show records

python app\\show.py

Custom ID injection

python app\\custom.py

This opens a file picker, lets you choose a file, and then asks for the custom ID.

How IDs are stored

• JPG/JPEG: EXIF ImageDescription
• PNG: ImageDescription text chunk
• PDF: /Keywords
• Other files: trailing __METAID__:<id>:__END__ marker

CSV format

ID_RECS.csv always uses this schema:

actual_name,assigned_id
example.jpg,0
example2.png,1

Behavior notes

• Existing embedded IDs are preserved
• Renamed files are detected by ID, not by filename
• Deleted files are removed from the CSV on the next scan
• show.py never modifies files
• open.py only reads metadata and opens the matching file

Developer notes

Shared logic lives in metainject_core.py so the CLI scripts stay thin and easier to reuse in other tools.

Project layout

project-root/
├── Input/
├── README.md
├── run.bat
├── app/
│   ├── custom.py
│   ├── metainject_core.py
│   ├── open.py
│   ├── show.py
│   └── test.py
└── ID_RECS.csv