What is a Tag Editor?

A tag editor is a computer software program or function used to manage the meta tags attached to music files in a media player or assets commonly displayed on a Web page. Music or multimedia files with meta tags are easier to sort and manage. When an image is displayed on the Internet, programmers include a tag that identifies or describes the image. The tag itself must be enclosed in code to be legible by the browser. This information also is used by screen reader programs that translate the information into an audio file for the visually impaired.

There are two common uses of a tag editor: accessibility compliance and music file cataloging. The program itself has minimal functionality and is used exclusively to enter the name for a file or item. Many Website design software programs now include a tag editor in their basic feature package. Music file management or asset cataloging programs also will include a tag editor as a way to help the library manager update the meta tags.

In order to ensure fair and equal access to the information available on the Internet to people with visual disabilities, many governments have instituted accessibility laws. Under these laws, Websites are required to provide certain features so that screen reading software is able to translate the Web experience to the user. Although this function is considered part of good Website design, it represents additional effort for the site's content management staff members.

During the Website content design and publication process, the content manager is responsible for adding and editing the programming used to control how the text appears on the Web. The tag editor is incorporated into this software and allows the developer to quickly move from one image file to another, updating the necessary fields. The editor then populates the required code to activate the tag, speeding up the process significantly.

Updating the tags in a music library or catalog has a huge impact on usability. The text inserted into the tag editor can be displayed in a list, searched and organized alphabetically. These features are essential when looking for a specific file, or keep track of all the music files included in the library or collection. Other information that can be included with a tag editor includes the file format, creation date, original source and a short description. All of this information is consistently formatted and organized for ideal search functionality.