--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Baptism Book Search: what will be found --------------------------------------------------------------------------- START -> BAPTISM BOOK PANEL. Type into the search box; the number of results and the drop-down list follow every letter you type. >>> OPEN RECORDS opens the records found. Capital or small letters make no difference. The ? button beside "extended name search" opens this text. Three settings decide what is found: the search option in own names / in parents' names / in Godparent names / in Baptism No / in Residence/Village / in Church / in Custom mark Search: abc* the typed letters must BEGIN the text or one of its words Search: *abc* the typed letters may stand ANYWHERE in the text extended name search also look for the synonymous names (in own names only) =========================================================================== 1. abc* AND *abc* =========================================================================== abc* - the text, or one of its words, begins with what you typed. A word begins after a space. "mar" finds Mary, Martha, Maria Banda, Anna Mary Phiri, Joseph Marenga but not Rosemary, Annemarie, Tamara, Anne-Marie (after a hyphen, not after a space) *abc* - what you typed may stand anywhere, also in the middle of a word. "mar" finds everything above, and also Rosemary, Annemarie, Tamara, Anne-Marie *abc* is the default. abc* gives fewer and more precise results when you know how the name begins. A ? in the search term stands for any one letter, a * for any number of letters: "mar?a" finds Maria and Marta. =========================================================================== 2. IN OWN NAMES: SEVERAL WORDS =========================================================================== The child's Christian names and surname are searched together, as one text. Every word you type is tested on its own, and EVERY word must be found. The order does not matter: "Anna Mvula" and "Mvula Anna" give the same result. Words of one letter are ignored, and so is a search term shorter than two letters (the whole book is then shown). =========================================================================== 3. EXTENDED NAME SEARCH (SYNONYMOUS NAMES) =========================================================================== The synonymous names table (CONTROL PANEL -> SYNONYMOUS NAMES) puts the spellings that belong together into one row, for example: Mary | Rosemary, Maria, Melia With extended name search ticked, every word you type is looked up in this table: - The look-up uses the WHOLE word. "Mary" finds the row; "Mar" or "Mari" does not, because no name in the table is spelt "Mar". A partial word therefore finds the same records with the box ticked or not. - When the word is found, every name in its row becomes an alternative: the record is found if it contains the typed word OR one of the names in the row. - Each of these names is tested with the same rule as the typed word - abc* or *abc*, whichever is chosen. - It works in both directions: "Rosemary" finds Mary, Maria and Melia as well, because they share the row. - A name that stands in several rows brings in all of these rows. The rows are not chained: if Maria has a row of its own (Maria | Mariah), a search for Mary does not find Mariah - unless Mariah is also written in Mary's row. - The surname is part of the searched text, so a surname that is in the row counts too (a family called Melia is found by "Mary"). - Several words: each word brings in its own row, and every word (or one of its synonyms) must be found. What "Mary" finds, with the row Mary | Rosemary, Maria, Melia: extended name search OFF extended name search ON abc* Mary, Mary Ann, Maryanne the same, and also (not Rosemary, not Maria) Rosemary, Maria, Melia, Mariana *abc* Mary, Maryanne, Rosemary, the same, and also Maria, Annemary Mariana, Melia, Amelia (not Maria, not Melia) Note the last line: with *abc* the names of the row are looked for anywhere too, so "Melia" also brings in Amelia. Use abc* when this gives too many results. What "Mar" finds: the same with the box ticked or not (see above) - abc* gives Mary, Martha, Maria ...; *abc* adds Rosemary, Tamara ... After you change the synonymous names table, the search uses the new spellings the next time the datafile is opened (for example when you restart the programme). =========================================================================== 4. THE OTHER SEARCH OPTIONS =========================================================================== in parents' names, in Godparent names, in Residence/Village, in Church abc* / *abc* apply. No synonymous names. What you type is looked for as ONE piece of text, not word by word: "Banda John" does not find "John Banda". Parents: the father's or the mother's name may match. in Baptism No abc* / *abc* apply, and one character is enough. The same number in another spelling is found too (12/2005, 2005-12, 12/05 ...), as set under BAPTISM NUMBER FORMAT (see BaptismNumberFormat.txt). in Custom mark Always *abc* (anywhere in the mark), whatever is chosen. An empty search box lists every record that carries a mark. limit by dates Works with every option: only records whose birth or baptism date (Date field) falls in the years "from" ... "to" are counted. CLEAR SEARCH empties the search box, sets the option back to "in own names", ticks extended name search again and switches the date limit off. It leaves abc* / *abc* as chosen.