Add optional verification for write-dates metadata writes

docs/USER-GUIDE.md

@@ -523,6 +523,11 @@ Without `--if-missing`, matching date tags may be overwritten.
 `--set-filetime` additionally updates filesystem create and modification
 timestamps to the selected date.
 
+`--verify` reads the expected date tags back after ExifTool writes them. It is
+off by default because it adds another ExifTool read per file. If verification
+does not find the expected date, the CSV row is left with `metadata_ok=False`
+so a later `--resume-csv` run retries that file.
+
 ### CSV Fields
 
 The `write-dates` CSV records:
@@ -544,6 +549,7 @@ sidecar, or only evaluated under dry-run.
 | `--dry-run` | Do not change files |
 | `--if-missing` | Only fill tags that are empty |
 | `--set-filetime` | Also set filesystem timestamps |
+| `--verify` | Read date tags back after writing and retry failed verification on resume |
 | `--exiftool PATH` | Select ExifTool binary |
 | `--timeout N` | Limit ExifTool time per media file |
 | `--checkpoint-seconds N` | Periodically write a resume checkpoint |

tests/test_write_dates.py

@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ def writeArgs(**overrides):
         "exiftool": "exiftool",
         "timeout": 90,
         "workers": 1,
+        "verify": False,
         "quiet": True,
     }
     args.update(overrides)
@@ -90,6 +91,62 @@ def testWriteDatesDryRunRecordsActionWithoutCompletingMetadata(tmp_path):
     assert stats.summary()["dry_run"] == 1
 
 
+def testWriteDatesVerifyReadsBackWrittenMetadata(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    image = tmp_path / "2026-03-02T10-20-30.JPG"
+    image.write_bytes(b"fake image")
+    verified = {}
+
+    def fakeExiftool(**kwargs):
+        return 0, ""
+
+    def fakeVerify(path, expectedDate, exiftoolPath, timeout, printLock):
+        verified.update(
+            {
+                "path": path,
+                "expectedDate": expectedDate,
+                "exiftoolPath": exiftoolPath,
+                "timeout": timeout,
+            }
+        )
+        return True, ""
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(write_dates, "runExiftool", fakeExiftool)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(write_dates, "verifyWrittenDate", fakeVerify)
+
+    stats = write_dates.Stats()
+    write_dates.processOne(image, writeArgs(verify=True), stats)
+
+    row = stats.getCsvRows()[0]
+    assert verified["path"] == image
+    assert verified["expectedDate"] == "2026:03:02 10:20:30"
+    assert row["metadata_ok"] is True
+    assert row["error"] == ""
+    assert stats.summary()["metadata_verified"] == 1
+
+
+def testWriteDatesVerifyFailureKeepsRowPending(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    image = tmp_path / "2026-03-02T10-20-30.JPG"
+    image.write_bytes(b"fake image")
+
+    def fakeExiftool(**kwargs):
+        return 0, ""
+
+    def fakeVerify(path, expectedDate, exiftoolPath, timeout, printLock):
+        return False, "expected date not found after write"
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(write_dates, "runExiftool", fakeExiftool)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(write_dates, "verifyWrittenDate", fakeVerify)
+
+    stats = write_dates.Stats()
+    write_dates.processOne(image, writeArgs(verify=True), stats)
+
+    row = stats.getCsvRows()[0]
+    assert row["metadata_ok"] is False
+    assert row["error"] == "expected date not found after write"
+    assert not write_dates.isCompletedCsvRow(row)
+    assert stats.summary()["metadata_verify_failed"] == 1
+
+
 def testWriteDatesResumeSkipsCompletedSource(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     completed = tmp_path / "2026-03-02T10-20-30.JPG"
     pending = tmp_path / "2026-03-02T10-20-31.JPG"

write_dates.py

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
     saveRunLog,
     truthyCsvValue,
 )
+from media_tools.metadata_writer import verifyWrittenDate
 
 
 # ----------------------
@@ -50,13 +51,16 @@
     "run_exiftool",
     "run_timeout",
     "run_workers",
+    "run_verify",
     "run_quiet",
     "run_interrupted",
 ]
 
 SUMMARY_COUNT_KEYS = [
     "written",
     "written_sidecars",
+    "metadata_verified",
+    "metadata_verify_failed",
     "dry_run",
     "skipped_resume_completed",
     "skipped_sidecar",
@@ -171,6 +175,7 @@ def buildRunContext(args, src):
         "run_exiftool": args.exiftool,
         "run_timeout": args.timeout,
         "run_workers": args.workers,
+        "run_verify": args.verify,
         "run_quiet": args.quiet,
         "run_interrupted": False,
         "run_effective_command": buildEffectiveCommand(args, src),
@@ -198,6 +203,9 @@ def buildEffectiveCommand(args, src):
     if args.set_filetime:
         parts.append("--set-filetime")
 
+    if args.verify:
+        parts.append("--verify")
+
     if args.quiet:
         parts.append("--quiet")
 
@@ -224,6 +232,9 @@ def applyRunDefaults(args, resumeContext, inheritInputMode):
     if args.set_filetime is None:
         args.set_filetime = metadataBool(resumeContext.get("run_set_filetime"), False)
 
+    if args.verify is None:
+        args.verify = metadataBool(resumeContext.get("run_verify"), False)
+
     if args.dry_run is None:
         args.dry_run = metadataBool(resumeContext.get("run_dry_run"), False)
 
@@ -262,6 +273,8 @@ def parseArgs():
     parser.add_argument("--overwrite-tags", dest="if_missing", action="store_false", help="Overwrite date tags when resuming.")
     parser.add_argument("--set-filetime", dest="set_filetime", action="store_true", default=None, help="Also set filesystem dates (FileModifyDate/CreateDate).")
     parser.add_argument("--no-set-filetime", dest="set_filetime", action="store_false", help="Do not set filesystem dates when resuming.")
+    parser.add_argument("--verify", dest="verify", action="store_true", default=None, help="Read metadata back after writing and keep the row pending if the expected date is not found.")
+    parser.add_argument("--no-verify", dest="verify", action="store_false", help="Disable metadata verification when resuming.")
     parser.add_argument("--exiftool", default=None, help="Path to exiftool binary. Default: exiftool in PATH.")
     parser.add_argument("--timeout", type=positiveInt, default=None, help=f"Per-file ExifTool timeout in seconds. Default: {DEFAULT_TIMEOUT}.")
     parser.add_argument("--workers", type=int, default=None, help=f"Max threads. 0 = auto. Default: {DEFAULT_WORKERS}.")
@@ -433,6 +446,20 @@ def processOne(path, args, stats):
             stats.inc("written")
             metadataOk = True
 
+        if args.verify and not args.dry_run:
+            verified, verifyError = verifyWrittenDate(path, dt, args.exiftool, args.timeout, printLock)
+
+            if verified:
+                stats.inc("metadata_verified")
+            else:
+                stats.inc("metadata_verify_failed")
+                stats.addFailed(str(path))
+                stats.addCsvRow(path, displayDate, dateOffset, dateSource, False, writeTarget, verifyError)
+                if not args.quiet:
+                    with printLock:
+                        print(f"[verify failed:{writeTarget}] {path} <- {dt}: {verifyError}")
+                return
+
         stats.addCsvRow(path, displayDate, dateOffset, dateSource, metadataOk, writeTarget, "")
         if not args.quiet:
             with printLock: