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Archiver > TMG > 2004-10 > 1097366858


From: "John Cardinal" <>
Subject: RE: [TMG] Age calculator & irregular dates
Date: Sat, 9 Oct 2004 20:07:38 -0400
In-Reply-To: <5.1.1.6.2.20041010090008.01c9ddb8@mail.internode.on.net>


Robin Lamacraft wrote:
> Darrell, Gordon, Andy, etc
>
> It seems as if there is a possible conceptual solution but it would require
> an extension of the space allowed for irregular dates.
>
> Try this for size, allow a symbol (say ||) within the irregular date field
> to delimit the irregular date from the following an user-provided estimate
> of that date. The date estimate only being used for age calculations,
> eg "Spring 1885"
> would be entered as
> "Spring 1885 || Abt. April 1885"
> Existing irregular dates would not be effected nor would the current use of
> the Sort Date.

Robin,

This essentially mimics what I have been proposing for a long time, 3 date fields:

1) a date field for display
2) a date field for calculations
3) a date field for sorting

It seems to me you combined #1 and #2 into one field. I think it's simpler all around to create a separate field. With reasonable data entry defaults, the data entry could be almost as efficient as today.

John


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