---
name: "datalad-metadata"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "datalad"
version: "0.14.0-1"
release: "Debian 11 (Bullseye)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/datalad-metadata"
---

# datalad-metadata(1)

metadata reporting for files and entire datasets

## NAME

**datalad metadata** - metadata reporting for files and entire datasets

## SYNOPSIS

**datalad metadata** \[-h\] \[-d DATASET\] \[--get-aggregates\] \[--reporton TYPE\] \[-r\] \[PATH ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

Two types of metadata are supported:

1\. metadata describing a dataset as a whole (dataset-global metadata), and

2\. metadata for files in a dataset (content metadata).

Both types can be accessed with this command.

Examples:

Report the metadata of a single file, as aggregated into the closest locally available dataset, containing the query path::

  % datalad metadata somedir/subdir/thisfile.dat

Sometimes it is helpful to get metadata records formatted in a more accessible form, here as pretty-printed JSON::

  % datalad -f json\_pp metadata somedir/subdir/thisfile.dat

Same query as above, but specify which dataset to query (must be containing the query path)::

  % datalad metadata -d . somedir/subdir/thisfile.dat

Report any metadata record of any dataset known to the queried dataset::

  % datalad metadata --recursive --reporton datasets

Get a JSON-formatted report of aggregated metadata in a dataset, incl. information on enabled metadata extractors, dataset versions, dataset IDs, and dataset paths::

  % datalad -f json metadata --get-aggregates

## OPTIONS

- PATH

  path(s) to query metadata for. Constraints: value must be a string

- **-h**, **--help**, **--help-np**

  show this help message. --help-np forcefully disables the use of a pager for displaying the help message

- **-d** *DATASET*, **--dataset** *DATASET*

  dataset to query. If given, metadata will be reported as stored in this dataset. Otherwise, the closest available dataset containing a query path will be consulted. Constraints: Value must be a Dataset or a valid identifier of a Dataset (e.g. a path)

- **--get-aggregates**

  if set, yields all (sub)datasets for which aggregate metadata are available in the dataset. No other action is performed, even if other arguments are given. The reported results contain a datasets's ID, the commit hash at which metadata aggregation was performed, and the location of the object file(s) containing the aggregated metadata.

- **--reporton** TYPE

  choose on what type result to report on: 'datasets', 'files', 'all' (both datasets and files), or 'none' (no report). Constraints: value must be one of ('all', 'datasets', 'files', 'none') \[Default: 'all'\]

- **-r**, **--recursive**

  if set, recurse into potential subdataset.

## AUTHORS

 datalad is developed by The DataLad Team and Contributors \<team@datalad.org\>.