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The File Information Tool Set (FITS) identifies, validates and extracts technical metadata for a wide range of file formats. It acts as a wrapper, invoking and managing the output from several other open source tools. Output from these tools are converted into a common format, compared to one another and consolidated into a single XML output file. FITS is written in Java and is compatible with Java 1.7 or higher.

The tools used in the latest version of FITS are: ADL Tool; Apache Tika; DROID; Exiftool; FFIdent (no longer maintained - the archived website can be found here); File Utility (windows port); Jhove; MediaInfo; National Library of New Zealand Metadata Extractor; OIS Audio Information; OIS File Information; and OIS XML Information.

Formal Name/Title (ISO, ANSI): File Information Tool Set (FITS)

Is this a complete system, a service or a tool?: Tool

Software Type: Open Source

URL for Resource: https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/fits

Creating body / Developer / Publisher: Harvard

Date of Creation: 2009

Date of Latest Revision: 2022

Current Version (Color, Name, Number): 1.5.0

Topics: File Characterization, Metadata, Preservation

Associated SERP Framework Element: Open Standard / Neutral Formats, Preservation Metadata, Strategy, Technical Expertise

Date Resource Added/Modified: December 04, 2018/updated October 27, 2022