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LastName, Firstname

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    #1

    LastName, Firstname

    I just created this code to convert a Firstname Lastname into a Lastname, Firstname:

    substr(alltrim(firstlast),(len(alltrim(Firstlast))-rat(" ",alltrim(Firstlast),1)+2),50)+", "+substr(Firstlast,1,at(" ",alltrim(Firstlast),1)-1)

    ...where Firstlast is the name of field containing the Firstname Lastname.

    What I can't figure out is how to handle "Jr's", middle initials, etc.

    Anyone have a good solution?

    Charlie
    Tags: None
    #2
    RE: LastName, Firstname

    Charles:
    A much simpler approach:
    word(fullname,2)+" "+word(fullname,1)+" "+word(fullname,3)


    dim fullname as c
    fullname="charles Hoens Jr."
    ?word(fullname,2)+" "+word(fullname,1)+" "+word(fullname,3)
    = "Hoens charles Jr"

    fullname="Charles Hoens"
    ?word(fullname,2)+" "+word(fullname,1)+" "+word(fullname,3)
    = "Hoens Charles "


    Gabe

    Comment

      #3
      RE: LastName, Firstname

      Obviously you have a structure problem. It might be possible to construct an expression that allowed for all the possibilities, but as the other response indicates, you would have to go to great lengths reassemble the name parts considering that you might have

      firstname lastname
      firstname midinitial lastname
      firstname middlename lastname
      firstname lastname sufffix
      firstname midinitial lastname suffix
      firstname middlename lastname suffix

      and likely other combinations.

      You need fields for each of the parts, requiring only those you have to have, and assemble the parts in whatever order you want at the appropriate time.
      There can be only one.

      Comment

        #4
        RE: LastName, Firstname

        Charlie,
        I really don't understand why there are substr and len operators in your formula. I also don't understand the -rat part of the formula. When I have to deal with names, I usually have a last field and a first field. The formula to concatenate them would be alltrim(first)+" "+alltrim(last). If I want last name first I reverse them and put ", " in the middle.
        I happen to be a Jr. myself and when I fill out forms that need the Jr. I simply put Urbanski, Jr. in the last name field.
        I just looked back at your question and I'm not sure I understand if your situation has the names in two fields or one. I assume they're in two fields an you want to revrse the order. If they are in one field, that's beyond my skill level.

        Jim

        Comment

          #5
          RE: LastName, Firstname

          I just reread your post and see that you have only one field. There is a genie in the operators but I don't think that will address your situation. Sorry I can't be more help.

          Jim

          Comment

            #6
            RE: LastName, Firstname

            Well, I'm probably going to have to create a UDF in order to trap all the problems. The Word() function is the way to go - I did it the old fashioned way - brute force!

            But I ran into people who used one letter as their first names "H. Ross Perot", some who had two or three middles initials and of course several Sr's, Jr's and III's.

            Alpha is so good now, that I guess I now am at the point that I expect that there is a solution for everything that someone has thought of.

            I'll get to work on that UDF!

            Charlie

            Comment

              #7
              RE: LastName, Firstname

              dim fullname as c
              fullname="H. Ross Perot Jr."
              ?if(right(fullname,3)="Jr.".or.right(fullname,3)="Sr.",word(fullname,w_count(fullname)-1),word(fullname,w_count(fullname)))+" "+if(len(word(fullname,1))=1,word(fullname,1," ",2),word(fullname,1))+" "+word(fullname,w_count(fullname))
              = "Perot H. Ross Jr"

              Gabe

              Comment

                #8
                RE: LastName, Firstname

                Thanks Gabe. This is great. I'm working on the function and will post it when I get it done with many thanks to you!

                Charlie

                Comment

                  #9
                  RE: LastName, Firstname

                  Sorry, I vote for the udf.

                  nm1 = "Oscar De La Hoya"
                  nm2 = "John Ronald Reuel Tolkien"
                  nm3 = "John Paul II"


                  ? if(right(nm1,3)="Jr.".or.right(nm1,3)="Sr.",word(nm1,w_count(nm1)-1),word(nm1,w_count(nm1)))+" "+if(len(word(nm1,1))=1,word(nm1,1," ",2),word(nm1,1))+" "+word(nm1,w_count(nm1))
                  = "Hoya Oscar Hoya"

                  ? if(right(nm2,3)="Jr.".or.right(nm2,3)="Sr.",word(nm2,w_count(nm2)-1),word(nm2,w_count(nm2)))+" "+if(len(word(nm2,1))=1,word(nm2,1," ",2),word(nm2,1))+" "+word(nm2,w_count(nm2))
                  = "Tolkien John Tolkien"

                  ? if(right(nm3,3)="Jr.".or.right(nm3,3)="Sr.",word(nm3,w_count(nm3)-1),word(nm3,w_count(nm3)))+" "+if(len(word(nm3,1))=1,word(nm3,1," ",2),word(nm3,1))+" "+word(nm3,w_count(nm3))
                  = "II John II"
                  There can be only one.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    RE: LastName, Firstname

                    Such an expression may not handle all of the scenarios which Stan laid out:

                    fullname="George H. W. Bush"
                    ?if(right(fullname,3)="Jr.".or.right(fullname,3)="Sr.",word(fullname,w_count(fullname)-1),word(fullname,w_count(fullname)))+" "+if(len(word(fullname,1))=1,word(fullname,1," ",2),word(fullname,1))+" "+word(fullname,w_count(fullname))
                    = "Bush George Bush"

                    So a more complete UDF may be the way to go.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      RE: LastName, Firstname

                      The underlying difficulty is that the structure of the original string is presumably not consistent from record to record.

                      Instead of just a firstname and a lastname, it's possible I suppose to actually need:

                      Title
                      Firstname
                      Middlename
                      Lastname
                      Suffix

                      Even if the data doesn't include titles you can't know in advance if a 3 word combination is first, middle, last or first, last, suffix.

                      Here are some tips I've found useful in the past:

                      If middlename is actually just an initial throughout all records then the length of the second term could be used to classify it.

                      If the word before the "last" word includes a trailing comma, then the last word is a suffix.

                      w_count() can be used to classify two word and 4 word combinations.

                      It's the three word combinations that always drove me nuts.

                      I've sometimes wondered if it would make sense to present a list of the 3 word strings and ask the user to tell you (a) is this f, m, l or is this f, l, s ?

                      -- tom

                      Comment

                        #12
                        RE: LastName, Firstname

                        dim fullname as c
                        fullname="George H W Bush Jr."
                        ?if(right(fullname,3)="Jr.".or.right(fullname,3)="Sr.",word(fullname,w_count(fullname)-1),word(fullname,w_count(fullname)))+" "+if(right(fullname,3)="Jr.".or.right(fullname,3)="Sr.",word(fullname,1," ",w_count(fullname)-2)+" "+right(fullname,3), word(fullname,1," ",w_count(fullname)-1))
                        = "Bush George H W Jr."

                        Any other wacky names??

                        Gabe

                        Comment

                          #13
                          RE: LastName, Firstname


                          dim fullname as c
                          fullname="George H W Bush Jr."
                          ?if(right(fullname,3)="Jr.".or.right(fullname,3)="Sr.",word(fullname,w_count(fullname)-1),word(fullname,w_count(fullname)))+" "+if(right(fullname,3)="Jr.".or.right(fullname,3)="Sr.",word(fullname,1," ",w_count(fullname)-2)+" "+right(fullname,3), word(fullname,1," ",w_count(fullname)-1))
                          = "Bush George H W Jr."

                          fullname="Oscar De La Hoeya"
                          ?if(right(fullname,3)="Jr.".or.right(fullname,3)="Sr.",word(fullname,w_count(fullname)-1),word(fullname,w_count(fullname)))+" "+if(right(fullname,3)="Jr.".or.right(fullname,3)="Sr.",word(fullname,1," ",w_count(fullname)-2)+" "+right(fullname,3), word(fullname,1," ",w_count(fullname)-1))
                          = "Hoeya Oscar De La"

                          Any other wacky names??

                          Gabe

                          Comment

                            #14
                            RE: LastName, Firstname

                            Any more??

                            dim fullname as c
                            fullname="Stan Steve Tom Cone Jr."
                            ??if(right(fullname,3)="Jr.".or.right(fullname,3)="Sr.",word(fullname,w_count(fullname)-1),word(fullname,w_count(fullname)))+" "+if(right(fullname,3)="Jr.".or.right(fullname,3)="Sr.",word(fullname,1," ",w_count(fullname)-2)+" "+right(fullname,3), word(fullname,1," ",w_count(fullname)-1))
                            ="Cone Stan Steve Tom Jr."

                            Gabe

                            Comment

                              #15
                              RE: LastName, Firstname

                              Let's get really wacky:
                              dim fullname as c
                              fullname="Charles Gabe S Steve T Cone Jr."
                              ?if(right(fullname,3)="Jr.".or.right(fullname,3)="Sr.",word(fullname,w_count(fullname)-1),word(fullname,w_count(fullname)))+" "+if(right(fullname,3)="Jr.".or.right(fullname,3)="Sr.",word(fullname,1," ",w_count(fullname)-2)+" "+right(fullname,3), word(fullname,1," ",w_count(fullname)-1))
                              ="Cone Charles Gabe S Steve T Jr."

                              I am out of wacky names !!
                              Gabe

                              Comment

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