4 replies to this topic

[TomH]

Over the years, a number of people have asked for a way to bulk generate married names as Alternate Names or to have a virtual Married Name that could function equivalent to such an Alt Fact. The idea is that it is desirable to have married names in the sidebar Index and in report indexes but tedious to have to manually add the Alternate Name fact one at a time. Currently, RM Explorer enables you to search on a virtual married name but that's the only example of an automatic married name handler. The new Publish Online website generator includes Alternate Names in its Name Index but, regrettably, report generators do not.

This wish is for:

• An Alternate Name or Virtual Alternate Name generator of type 'Married'
  
  
• The above Names be indexed in all Name Indexes at the user's option, including Sidebar, Explorer, Search, Reports, Websites.

Until this wish is fulfilled within RootsMagic, users desirous of generating a Married Name Alternate Name fact for many persons may find this SQLite query will serve their need: Names - Add Married.

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[Vyger]

A valid wish and extremely useful.

I done this myself through other means both for "Married" name and "Alternate Spelling" for the common surname variations i encounter. In RM Explorer and People View this has proved exrtremely useful in finding previously obscure matches.

I know it's not Toms wish but the alternate spelling could easily be achieved within RM with a small utility. User enters Surname and lists the common other spellings, RM then sweeps the database and applies those Alternate Spellings to any such matches.

[Renee Zamora]

 TomH, on 27 November 2012 - 03:18 PM, said:

This wish is for:

• An Alternate Name or Virtual Alternate Name generator of type 'Married'
  
• The above Names be indexed in all Name Indexes at the user's option, including Sidebar, Explorer, Search, Reports, Websites.

Confirming enhancement request is in our tracking system.

[Renee Zamora]

 Vyger, on 28 November 2012 - 01:44 PM, said:

I know it's not Toms wish but the alternate spelling could easily be achieved within RM with a small utility. User enters Surname and lists the common other spellings, RM then sweeps the database and applies those Alternate Spellings to any such matches.

I haven't added this to the tracking system yet. I think more discussion is needed on this wish.  

I for one would have a massively long list of all the variate spellings for a person surname. What I decided to do was give all my "Weatherwax" people one alternate spelling of "Weatherwax" and then only list the other alternate names as I found they used them in documents.  The one alternate name "Weatherwax" allows me to search them in the database all together. Even if I did have all the spelling variations for Weatherwax in there I am always find a new one over time. I think a utility to add all the variations would complicate my research, when the use of one fixed spelling as an alternate name does the job nicely.

[Vyger]

 TomH, on 27 November 2012 - 03:18 PM, said:

This wish is for:

• An Alternate Name or Virtual Alternate Name generator of type 'Married'
  
• The above Names be indexed in all Name Indexes at the user's option, including Sidebar, Explorer, Search, Reports, Websites.

One competitor offering gives this option on gedcom import although I cannot see it within the program thereafter. I know US commonly use the double barrelled married surname but in UK and Ireland all wives are known by there married name and any registrations therefore show this. My database is also arranged like this especially where a wife entry on a census return would only produce a given name at time of entry as the maiden name is unknown.

 Renee Zamora, on 27 December 2012 - 04:23 PM, said:

I haven't added this to the tracking system yet. I think more discussion is needed on this wish.  

Maybe best, but of course it would need to be optional as it could get uncontrolable. I achieved this for myself with generally 3 surname variations having the most common spelling assigned as an alternate spelling, not everyone having all variations. So in brief all the common spelling variations have one alternate spelling entry which is statistically the most common spelling, this has worked well for me but maybe not everyone.