EM Script: Replace IPTC Description with Headline filed

[JasonTinacci]

In case anyone is interested...

I created a script for Expression Media 2 that replaces the IPTC description with the headline. It's been tested and works on EM2 service pack 2 on WinXP pro machine.

How to use it
Copy the following bold red text into a new NotePad or text editor file:

'========================================================================================
'Replaces IPTC Description with IPTC Headline text
'by Jason Tinacci 7/9/2009
'version 1.0
'Loops through selected media items and replaces description with headline
'========================================================================================

Option Explicit

Dim app, mediaItems, mediaItem, strText
Dim L_title_text, L_message1_text, L_message2_text, L_message3_text

L_title_text = "Microsoft Expression Media"
L_message1_text = "Please launch Microsoft Expression Media."
L_message2_text = "You need to select at least one media item in the active catalog in order to use this script."
L_message3_text = "This script will copy the headline to the description, for each selected media item."

' display an about box
If (MsgBox(L_message3_text, 65, L_title_text) = vbOk) Then
   Main()
End If

Sub Main()
   Set app = CreateObject("ExpressionMedia.Application")

   ' get the active catalog
   If (app.Catalogs.count = 0) Then
      MsgBox L_message1_text, vbCritical, L_title_text
   Elseif (app.ActiveCatalog.Selection.Count = 0) Then
      MsgBox L_message2_text, vbCritical, L_title_text
   Else
      

For Each mediaItem In app.ActiveCatalog.Selection
         
         strText = mediaItem.Annotations.Headline
         
         If (strText <> "") Then
            mediaItem.Annotations.Description = strText
         End If
                  
      Next

   End If

End Sub

'========================================================================================


Save file as "Headline to Description.vbs" to \Program Files\Microsoft Expression\Media 2\en\Plug-ins\Scripts\Annotate\.

Open EM2. Select images you want to edit. Go to Scripts > Annotate > "Headline to Description" from the menu bar to replace the description text with the headline text.

That's it.

- Jason