New ad-hoc option in compression window: Archive inherits metadata of single root file/folder

[porg]

Infographic with problem, workaround and solution proposal

Problem

• Archive file created by Keka:
  • It's metadata is technically all right, but it doesn't serve me as a user.
  • If i get rid of the original, I'd still like to know certain metadata:
    • Date: I'm interested on when the original was created, not when the archive was created.
    • In some cases the filename may still contains that in YYYY-MM-DD--hh-mm notation but:
      • It is in UTC not local time.
      • I can not use Finder's "Sort by date" function

Workaround: Adjust your behavior

• Create the archive soon after creating the original
  • The modification timestamps are similar then
  • The creation timestamps may still differ totally
• Create the Finder comments/tags directly on the archive file and not on the original, which anyhow has a temporary nature only. ❗️ But this might not be possible in all cases and has shortcomings as mentioned.

Proposal for an enhancement

• The compression window gets a new ad-hoc option on bottom:

[  ] Archive inherits metadata of single root file/folder ▶︎

• On expansion you can choose which metadata to inherit (=copy over):

[  ] Archive inherits metadata of single root file/folder ▼
  [  ] Creation Date
  [  ] Modification Date
  [  ] Finder Comment
  [  ] Finder Tags

• If the root of the archive has more than a single file or a single folder (because you dragged multiple items) then Keka could not determine which item's metadata to inherit. Then the option is shown as greyed out (inactive). A tooltip explains why.

[porg]

@aonez What do you think of that proposal?

[porg]

Addition to my own proposal: The hint button (info symbol) must be integrated from the start of the lifecycle. As the workflow in Keka is: Set options first, then drop for compression. No further confirm or reactive options.

But that's a detail. What about the overall idea?

[aonez]

Sorry @porg, I'll need some time to look at this one, but I like the idea of inheriting the Finder comment and Tags for sure.

[porg]

Thanks for that first reaction. Just wanted to know whether the idea is liked at all.

Take your time to look at it. Ping me here if you have further questions or came to a decision. Thanks.