Date Formats

Of these, the last 3 have a special role in that they are designed to be used together, when copying date information from a query result set, into another program such as a spreadsheet or database program.

There are also 3 other qualifiers which can only be used with some dates, which give a person's age at the date in question. These qualifiers are not discussed here.

To illustrate the function of all of the listed qualifiers, 12 different sample dates, all valid date types in Family Historian, are shown below in LONG format. Then, for each date, the same data is shown displayed in each of the other formats in turn.

The 10th example is that of a "date phrase". The 11th is an interpreted date phrase. The 12th is a blank date.

LONG Format

1	15 December 1989
2	15 December 1989 (estimated)
3	15 December 1989 (approx)
4	From 12 June 1908 To 14 December 1919
5	From 12 June 1908
6	To 12 June 1908
7	Between 12 June 1908 and 14 December 1919
8	After 12 June 1908
9	Before 12 June 1908
10	"after wife died"
11	12 September 1929 ("after wife died")
12

COMPACT Format

1	15 Dec 1989
2	15 Dec 1989 (est)
3	15 Dec 1989 (app)
4	Frm 12 Jun 1908 To 14 Dec 1919
5	Frm 12 Jun 1908
6	To 12 Jun 1908
7	Btw 12 Jun 1908 and 14 Dec 1919
8	Aft 12 Jun 1908
9	Bef 12 Jun 1908
10	"after wife died"
11	12 Sep 1929 ("after wife died")
12

ABBREV Format

1	15 Dec 1989
2	15 Dec 1989 (est)
3	15 Dec 1989 (app)
4	Frm 1908 To 1919
5	Frm 1908
6	To 1908
7	Btw 1908 and 1919
8	Aft 1908
9	Bef 1908
10
11	12 Sep 1929 (int)
12

ABBREV2 Format

1	15 Dec 1989
2	15 Dec 1989?
3	15 Dec 1989?
4	1908-1919
5	1908-_____
6	____-1908
7	1908-1919
8	Aft 1908
9	Bef 1908
10	____
11	12 Sep 1929?
12	____

ABBREV3 Format

In the example below, the date is displayed in dd/mm/yyyy format which is the normal 'localised' short form date format for the U.K. and elsewhere. In the U.S., the normal equivalent date format would be mm/dd/yyyy and this format would be used instead. So, for example, in the U.S., date no. 1 would usually display as 12/15/1989.

1	15/12/1989
2	15/12/1989?
3	15/12/1989?
4	1908-1919
5	1908-
6	-1908
7	1908-1919
8	Aft 1908
9	Bef 1908
10
11	12/9/1929?
12

ABBREV4 Format

1	1989
2	1989?
3	1989?
4	1908-1919
5	1908-
6	-1908
7	1908-1919
8	Aft 1908
9	Bef 1908
10
11	1929?
12

The next 5 date formats are all applicable to simple dates only, and return nothing where a date range or a date period is used.

DAY Format

1	15
2	15
3	15
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11	12
12

MONTH_NUMBER Format

1	12
2	12
3	12
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11	9
12

MONTH_NAME Format

1	December
2	December
3	December
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11	September
12

MONTH_AND_DAY Format

In the example below, the Day is displayed before the Month. If your PC is configured to display months before days in a short format date format (which typically it would be in the U.S.), the Month would appear first...

1	15/12
2	15/12
3	15/12
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11	12/9
12

YEAR Format

1	1989
2	1989
3	1989
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11	1929
12

The last 3 formats, XDATE1, XDATE2 and XDATETYPE are all designed to be used together. The problem they are designed to overcome is that Family Historian supports more complex date information than can be accommodated in date fields within most spreadsheet or database programs. By moving Family Historian's date information into 3 fields, it becomes easier to export the data in a way that lets them be used effectively within spreadsheets or database programs (the 'X' stands for 'eXport'). A typical use of these fields would be within a query. The data from the query can then be copied and pasted into a spreadsheet.

It is easier to see how the 3 fields work together if they are shown together in one table:

	XDATE1	XDATE2	XDATETYPE
1	15 Dec 1989	15 Dec 1989	Date
2	15 Dec 1989	15 Dec 1989	Estimate
3	15 Dec 1989	15 Dec 1989	Approx
4	12 Jun 1908	14 Dec 1919	From/To
5	12 Jun 1908		From
6		12 Jun 1908	To
7	12 Jun 1908	14 Dec 1919	Between
8	12 Jun 1908		After
9		12 Jun 1908	Before
10			Phrase
11	12 Sep 1929	12 Sep 1929	Interpreted Phrase
12