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Test digiKam Sidecar Naming with RAW and JPEG Photo Pairs

By ImgHeal · Updated

A RAW file and its JPEG companion can share a basename while needing different metadata histories. Test digiKam's sidecar naming choice before a large metadata exchange. Inspect which image each XMP file describes instead of assuming every application pairs sidecars the same way.

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Prepare a source pair with distinct roles

Use a copied RAW-and-JPEG pair representing the same capture, and record both full filenames. Add a separate viewing derivative only if it helps test your real workflow. Write down which facts should be shared and which should remain version-specific, such as editing status or a derivative description. Preserve the original files and existing sidecars unchanged. A test that contains only one image cannot expose a sidecar-name collision between files whose extensions differ.

Compare the naming conventions deliberately

digiKam documents a default sidecar convention that retains the image extension and an alternative compatible naming option used by commercial applications. Review the installed version's setting and note its exact choice. Under an extension-dropping convention, two source names with the same stem need careful examination. Follow the intended editor's documented sidecar rules rather than assuming the word compatible means lossless agreement across all tools. Do not rename sidecars in the live archive while experimenting with a copied pair.

Read the pair in the receiving application

Write or export only the intended test metadata, then open the copied pair through the destination workflow. Compare the caption, source identifier, and version-specific note for each file. Inspect the actual sidecar filenames and retain evidence of which file was read. If the applications disagree, document an exchange convention or use a separate descriptive handoff rather than repeatedly overwriting XMP files. Keep ImgHeal viewing outputs under distinct derivative basenames when that is necessary to prevent ambiguity, and verify their source relationship independently of any automatic sidecar matching.

Check this workflow

  • Test a RAW and JPEG with the same stem.
  • Record the full sidecar naming convention.
  • Inspect each file in the receiving application.

Sources and further reading

Questions about this restoration task

Does an XMP sidecar always belong to exactly one extension?

That depends on the naming convention and reader. Test the actual source pair and application combination instead of relying on the extension alone.

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