Traces the path of metadata from inside a PDF document and its extended attributes, to those in Spotlight’s indexes and displayed in the Finder. Only a third survived that journey.
mdls
This new version adds a drag-and-drop window to inspect the metadata of files using mdimport and mdls.
Use the mdimport and mdls commands to dump full information about all the metadata attributes found for a file, and those indexed by Spotlight.
When Spotlight can’t find the files you expect it to, it could be that they weren’t indexed, or that Spotlight’s search has failed to find their index entries. Here’s how to tell those apart and work out what went wrong.
They now get signed, an Info.plist is embedded, they’re notarized by Apple, use the hardened runtime, maybe the App Sandbox, and request entitlements. So how do you check their version?
Details the contents of files which are built into Spotlight’s index, its reliance on keys, how apps can perform Spotlight searches, and the three bundled tools for users.
The Desktop and Finder illusions are held together by Launch Services, which associates file types with apps. This and more now hinge on the UTI.
Why does mdls not give full image metadata?
The Eclectic Light Company 