* Is there a way to add shared notes to place records?

[BEJ]

I continue to struggle with an efficient method to record variant place names for a single location. I thought that I could record name changes in a note shared by the various place records. However, the only shared note option displayed in the Add Note dropdown for places is Research Notes and those do not survive into a GEDCOM export.

Is there a way to add shared notes to place records?

[ColeValleyGirl]

There doesn't seem to be, I'm afraid. Sounds like something for the wish list.

You could consider creating a place for each variant and set the standardised place for each of them to the same thing, then use the local noe associated with each variant to (e.g.) document when that place name was used. You'd then be able to create query that filters on the standardised place and optionally extracted labelled text from the local note. Not much good for reports, however.

[BEJ]

Yes, not that useful because I don't see a way for Standardized Places to show any relationships to other places. It is simply another place, with no way to know in text that it is the same location as others. Granted, they would all be mapped to the same location, provided their coordinates are entered correctly.

Thanks.

[tatewise]

Helen is talking about the Standardized field available in every Place record.
If several Place records have the same Standardized field value then not only will they map to the same coordinates but sorted lists or searches on the Standardized field will identify those related Place records.

[BEJ]

And the Standardized Field links to a place record for the standardized place name. I only get the single standardized name when I do a search.

[ColeValleyGirl]

The Standardized field is a Text field, manually completed -- it doesn't link anywhere. It's a way of associating places with different names and the same Standardised field (and also of geocoding them to the place identified by the Standardised field) as Mike said.

[tatewise]

How are you searching?
I've used Edit > Find... with Search for: set to the Standardized field place name text.
Then unticked all options except Other Fields and Match case.
That lists all the Place records that have the same matching Standardized field value.

Other search methods are possible using Queries and Plugins.

In the Records Window on the Places tab there is the Standardized field column.
Click its column heading to sort alphabetically and all Place records with similar Standardized names are grouped together.

[BEJ]

Thanks to both--have to move on to work tasks, so will respond another time.

[BEJ]

Helen is talking about the Standardized field available in every Place record.

Perhaps this is where I was going wrong. I was creating a place record for the modern place name, then trying to use that record as the standardized name. What I understand you to be saying is that Standardized place is a text field and there is not necessarily a place record with that name?

[ColeValleyGirl]

Helen is talking about the Standardized field available in every Place record.

Perhaps this is where I was going wrong. I was creating a place record for the modern place name, then trying to use that record as the standardized name. What I understand you to be saying is that Standardized place is a text field and there is not necessarily a place record with that name?

Yes, it's a text field within a Place record. You can create a Place record for a modern place if you wish, but you also have to enter the text in the standardised name for every other place that corresponds to it.

So for example, I have two place records: one for Trecwn and one for Llanfair Nant i Gof. Trecwn is the modern name, so I put Trecwn in the standardised place field for both records and they both geocode correctly, plus I include the standardised place field in the place records window so I can sort on it and bring related places together. Or I can query on it.

[BEJ]

Thanks. Here’s what I’m thinking.

I manually provide a Geo reference for each place name. Thus, each Place record will have a unique identifier composed of the latitude and longitude coordinates. I can simply rely on lat and long for finding all places that have the same location, but different names. No extra data entry required.

[ColeValleyGirl]

If it works for you... but you'll still have the extra data entry to create the unique identifier, surely?

[BEJ]

Every Geo reference is unique. I use seven decimal places, so no two locations down to the size of a room in a building will share the same coordinates. The lat and long ARE the unique ID. No additional data entry or identifier required.

Thanks again for your response on this and other threads. I appreciate that you approach questions as a user, rather than programmer.