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Search screen - Birthplace wildcards

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Berksbeagle

Berksbeagle Report 15 Jul 2003 10:04

Does the birth field support the use of wildcards? I have used Berks and Berkshire and got different results. It would be useful if the search algorithm recognised both variants and/or the use of the asterisk or percent symbols as wild cards, eg Berks* or Berks%. This would find all entries with Berks, Berkshire, berks or berkshire. Regards Terry Barlow

Researching:
HAT(T),HATTER,BENCE HULLAVINGTON, BIDDESTONE, CORSHAM DAVIS - COLATON RALEIGH, DAVIES-GLAMORGAN & Oxfordshire, TAVINER-WILTSHIRE, BARLOW-BERKSHIRE

Unknown

Unknown Report 15 Jul 2003 14:19

It would also help if everyone used the same format when entering Placenames. Someone born at The Dingle, West Street, Southstanding, Northamptonshire could be entered under The, West, Southstanding, Northants, Northampton or Northamptonshire, and possibly others. Surely we need an Executive Decision on this. Shall we settle for just Town and County in full? Or what. Jim

Vera

Vera Report 15 Jul 2003 17:14

Jim Town and County (using the Chapman Codes from Genuki) HAS MY VOTE, Vera Manchester LAN

Jason

Jason Report 17 Jul 2003 04:20

Similar problems with my birth place Stockton-On-Tees. The '*' wild card would solve the problem. The town is entered in at least the 3 varieties below! Stockton Stockton on Tees Stockton-On-Tees I suppose 'Teesside' is handy for guessing, as it covers Stockton and Middlesbrough. Hope they can introduce the wild card. J.

Unknown

Unknown Report 17 Jul 2003 11:32

It would also help if there were a Soundex. What hasn't been mentioned so far on this topic is the terrible typing of some members. Not wishing to get the soapbox out but surely Genealogy is a precise science. There are arguments over interpretations of a name on a Census where the handwriting is unclear, Great care is taken identifying an individual, And then you tell me they were born in Oxforshire? Please read what you have typed. Read it again, and we may all get it right. I am never going to find a link with your tree if my ancestor was married in Kent and yours in Knet. Jim

BrianW

BrianW Report 17 Jul 2003 11:39

An even more useful idea would be to ban the uploading of Gedcom files. The aim of the site, as I understand it, is to enable links to be found, yet half the time when you find a probable-looking name there is no date of birth or location attached and you find you are making contact with someone in Australia 1950 when you are looking for London 1860.

Researching:
Sherwood (Kent); Jesson (London); Worboys (Herts)