Bug 424051

Summary: Please add search for images without captions
Product: [Applications] digikam Reporter: Ronald Orenstein <ron.orenstein>
Component: Searches-AdvancedAssignee: Digikam Developers <digikam-bugs-null>
Status: RESOLVED FIXED    
Severity: wishlist CC: caulier.gilles, johannes.lists+bugs.kde.org, ron.orenstein
Priority: NOR    
Version: unspecified   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: macOS (DMG)   
OS: macOS   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed In: 7.2.0
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Ronald Orenstein 2020-07-10 00:46:51 UTC
I would like to suggest that this is a feature that should be added to the program. I am in the process of captioning a large number of images and it would greatly speed the process if those I have already done could be filtered out. There is a feature like this in Aperture (you can set IPTC caption data to’ empty’ as a search condition) and I have found it to be very useful.
Comment 1 caulier.gilles 2020-07-10 04:49:34 UTC
Ronald,

Please, add the helper tips from the user mailing list to work around the feature with advanced search tool. This will help students to code this feature in the future. Thanks in advance.

Gilles Caulier
Comment 2 Ronald Orenstein 2020-07-20 16:09:32 UTC
The following comment was made to the list in response to my query, by sknahT:

* Search tab > advanced search > reset (to make sure we start fresh
* At the top right: Options:  "None of these conditions are met"
* caption, comment, title > catption: e
* add search group
* click on OR to become AND
* "None of these conditions are met"
* title: e
* ok

Then you can save the search and select that saved search each time...

This assumes that all actual captions or title contain the letter E.
Very few words in English do not have the letter E (you can google for
the list).

I have successfully used this technique to screen out most photos with captions containing text.  I assume the reverse can be done by performing the same search but asking that the conditions be met.

In Aperture it is possible to search on captions or similar IPTC data fields that are empty/not empty as well as those containing text; it would be very useful to have these as choices, either under advanced search or (preferably) simply as tick boxes on the main filters screen.

Thanks - Ron
Comment 3 Johannes 2021-02-21 07:25:55 UTC
I also would like to have the ability to search for images without or with empty captions!

Regarding the workaround: 
It's not necessary to split up the search into different search groups.
If you have both "e"s in on search group, you can add another search group with conditions which shall be met, e.g. images from a certain album.

Unfortunately there is no grouping available of search groups, but this can help a little bit.
Comment 4 Maik Qualmann 2021-02-22 22:16:37 UTC
Git commit f6ebed2a1d712160889590213c26daa9ed1249d5 by Maik Qualmann.
Committed on 22/02/2021 at 22:15.
Pushed by mqualmann into branch 'master'.

add search for empty text in comment, title and author

M  +54   -0    core/libs/database/item/query/itemquerybuilder.cpp
M  +14   -0    core/utilities/searchwindow/searchfields.cpp
M  +1    -0    core/utilities/searchwindow/searchgroup.cpp

https://invent.kde.org/graphics/digikam/commit/f6ebed2a1d712160889590213c26daa9ed1249d5
Comment 5 Maik Qualmann 2021-02-23 05:20:48 UTC
Git commit 63c81b29f4845eadd02127b4de1a353855214d96 by Maik Qualmann.
Committed on 23/02/2021 at 05:20.
Pushed by mqualmann into branch 'master'.

optimize sql search query

M  +16   -19   core/libs/database/item/query/itemquerybuilder.cpp

https://invent.kde.org/graphics/digikam/commit/63c81b29f4845eadd02127b4de1a353855214d96
Comment 6 Maik Qualmann 2021-02-23 07:10:02 UTC
Git commit 313b1e2cb6c73a8dfc3190bffe6581f008031db5 by Maik Qualmann.
Committed on 23/02/2021 at 07:08.
Pushed by mqualmann into branch 'master'.

add empty search for creator and headline
FIXED-IN: 7.2.0

M  +2    -1    NEWS
M  +43   -21   core/libs/database/item/query/itemquerybuilder.cpp
M  +5    -3    core/utilities/searchwindow/searchfields.cpp

https://invent.kde.org/graphics/digikam/commit/313b1e2cb6c73a8dfc3190bffe6581f008031db5