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Use of slashes "/" in names and Surnames violates GEDCOM standard

Started by Private on Friday, August 29, 2014
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This will cause problems when exporting profiles as the GEDCOM standard uses the slash character "/" to indicate the start of the Surname in the name field (as identified by the NAME Tag). Adding extra slashes within the name will result in the Surname not being correctly picked up when importing the GEDCOM file.

"The name value is formed in the manner the name is normally spoken, with the given name and family name (surname) separated by slashes (/)."
"The surname of an individual, if known, is enclosed between two slash (/) characters."
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pmcbride/gedcom/55gcch2.htm...
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pmcbride/gedcom/55gcch2.htm...

Hello. Is this still the case? If so, I really wish it could be changed somehow, as slashes would be exceedingly useful - in many cases much better than using "Also known as". Best regards, Maja

No special characters should be used in the name. Nobody's name contains them.

You have AKA field, as well as multilingual fields, to enter name if it is found in documents.

Can you provide an example where you think you should use it?

I found this profile you have entered

Laurs Christian Jensen

Is both Laurs and Lars used in Danish?

One option would be put Lars in the main (default English field), Laurs under Danish, if that's what it is.

Both versions were used back then, and they both occur about equally often in sources about this man. That makes it hard to choose which one to feature most prominently. I find myself in similar situations quite often, which is why I'd love to have the opportunity to show more than one spelling in the main name field.

... and judging by how often I see slashes in display names, I'm far from the only one who feels that way. Same with nicknames in quotations marks.

The fact you see it often does not make it right.

Geni software designers have put a lot of effort to provide us (users) with so many fields. Adding something in " " to the first name field that should be in AKA field is not correct.

We all used to do it before - as there were no other option.
But you have so many fields now, why not to use them as intended?

If Laurs and Lars are used almost equally I would put baptismal spelling in main field (or oldest recorded spelling) then put both spellings in the AKA field separated by a comma.

This way the software will work as designed, all data is preserved somewhere in the file and if they are indeed equally common then there should be no problem with giving preference to one over the other.

The AKA field is a good thing. It's just that I'd like to be able to see some of that type of information in Tree View.

Agree, maybe we should ask for some popup when hovering with the mouse?

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