Jerry, If a blank between two commas doesn't signify that something is missing, then it signifies nothing at all. In which case, as you say, it is simply there to force a correct location into an incorrect location just to make something look pretty. Frankly I find such constructs both confusing to those unfamiliar with the location, and anything but pretty - I think that they are ugly.
Ron Ferguson http://www.fergys.co.uk/ Ron Ferguson http://www.fergys.co.uk/ -----Original Message----- From: Jerry Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2012 9:31 PM To: LegacyUserGroup@LegacyUsers.com Subject: Re: [LegacyUG] How to document Locations in Europe 5 Fields vs 4 Fields I don't agree that just because you have a space between two commas, it has to imply that something is missing. Sure it can be, but for those of us who want a very organized approach, it just makes sense because it does allow one to sort by the various divisions, whenever they apply. If you can truly do that with a right to left sort without regard to how many divisions are used, can someone provide some concrete examples on a website or a snippet of your Legacy code off-line or something? I really don't mean to be hard-headed on this, but I've so far not seen sorting work so well without the standard divisions. Jerry Boor - http://www.MerriamFamilyTree.org On 03/11/2012 08:52 AM, Jenny M Benson wrote: > On 11/03/2012 12:07, John Magyari wrote: >> Thanks for everyone's ideas. >> Some of my Polish time periods use 4 some 5 positions >> >> I decided to force all 5 location positions into 4. Having same >> number >> of fields helps with sorting. >> >> Ideally if would be nice to specify Number of locations field MAX. >> Then if entered with less fields specify which fields to become null. >> ie. MaxPositions = 5, LessPositionOrder if less 2,3if less than >> MAX >> ie For Me for Poland >> city, administration, county, state, country (1,2,3,4,5) >> If less fields entered enter Nulls >> city, county, state, country (Null 1 field - admin) >> city, state, country (Null other 2 fields -admin, county) >> city, state (Null other 3 fields) >> state (Null other 4 fields) >> >> >> I will use 4 fields, and in the process converted all locations with >> fewer positions to 4 position system. > > Surely the aim should always be to enter *accurate* information and you > are not doing that. > > If you are "forcing" 5 elements into 4, are you implying that, there is > a place called "Village Town", when in fact it is a place called > "Village" with a place called "Town"? And if you make a 3-element > location fit 4 fields, you are presumably adding an extra comma > somewhere which inevitably implies that there is a missing element, but > in your case there isn't! > > Because I include complete addresses in the location field, I have > anywhere from 1 element (only know the country) to 6 or 7 elements in a > location. If I want to see them grouped together I sort them from right > to left. It's not a problem. > Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyusers.com/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyfamilytree.com/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
