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Author Topic: Ancestry FT dates mixed up  (Read 2107 times)

Offline groom

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Re: Ancestry FT dates mixed up
« Reply #9 on: Sunday 28 January 18 18:14 GMT (UK) »
I use exact dates if I know them, last month of the quarter if I haven't got the certificate and don't know the exact date. Before if I have a marriage certificate that gives father as deceased but I can't find a death, about if I've had to take a guess at a date and between if I have a person in one census but know they have died before the next. That works for me and I've had no problem with Ancestry. Sometimes it asks if I'm sure I want to use that date and I just say yes and enter it. Then when I do find the exact date I go back and add it. 
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline PurpleOwl333

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Re: Ancestry FT dates mixed up
« Reply #10 on: Sunday 28 January 18 19:16 GMT (UK) »
Interesting, and good to know, thanks tellx  :)

Quote from: tellx on Sunday 28 January 18 17:07 GMT (UK)
If I put a date in as "c1895" it will put it at the end of the list but if a space is added ie "c 1895" it places it correctly. I think it doesn't recognize dates if they start with a letter.

Offline PurpleOwl333

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Re: Ancestry FT dates mixed up
« Reply #11 on: Sunday 28 January 18 19:21 GMT (UK) »
This seems a perfectly logical way to do it, groom, ta muchly!  ;D

Quote from: groom on Sunday 28 January 18 18:14 GMT (UK)
I use exact dates if I know them, last month of the quarter if I haven't got the certificate and don't know the exact date. Before if I have a marriage certificate that gives father as deceased but I can't find a death, about if I've had to take a guess at a date and between if I have a person in one census but know they have died before the next. That works for me and I've had no problem with Ancestry. Sometimes it asks if I'm sure I want to use that date and I just say yes and enter it. Then when I do find the exact date I go back and add it.

Offline andrewalston

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Re: Anc* FT dates mixed up
« Reply #12 on: Sunday 28 January 18 19:45 GMT (UK) »
Parsing dates is a horrendous programming task. Should "JAN-FEB-MAR" mean the same as "JAN-MAR" ? What would  "JAN-FEB-MAY" mean, or even  "JAN-DEC-MAR" ?
Even when the format is defined, as in a GEDCOM, some sites have trouble. My FH software happily allows me to enter dates such as "J-M 1900", works out that the first month starting with a J is January and the first M is March, and correctly outputs "BET JAN 1900 AND MAR 1900" in the GEDCOM. GenesReunited threw any such dates away, not even retaining the year.
Looking at ALSTON in south Ribble area, ALSTEAD and DONBAVAND/DUNBABIN etc. everywhere, HOWCROFT and MARSH in Bolton and Westhoughton, PICKERING in the Whitehaven area.

Census information is Crown Copyright. See www.nationalarchives.gov.uk for details.

Offline PurpleOwl333

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Re: Anc* FT dates mixed up
« Reply #13 on: Sunday 28 January 18 20:09 GMT (UK) »

Not even retaining the year? Wow, that's unhelpful! However, I want to thank you for your post and for mentioning GenesReunited as I didn't know about it 'til now. ;D

Quote from: andrewalston on Sunday 28 January 18 19:45 GMT (UK)
Parsing dates is a horrendous programming task. Should "JAN-FEB-MAR" mean the same as "JAN-MAR" ? What would  "JAN-FEB-MAY" mean, or even  "JAN-DEC-MAR" ?
Even when the format is defined, as in a GEDCOM, some sites have trouble. My FH software happily allows me to enter dates such as "J-M 1900", works out that the first month starting with a J is January and the first M is March, and correctly outputs "BET JAN 1900 AND MAR 1900" in the GEDCOM. GenesReunited threw any such dates away, not even retaining the year.
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