Splitting up a name

[LaRetta]

Another simple thing (I think). I've searched and can't find info on this. I need to import 28,000 names from db1. They are displayed as LAST, FIRST. I want them in two fields as they should be. I created a FULL NAME text field and I've imported them, but I don't want to re-type every name in the two fields. Surely a script can split them for me? I have another db2 with FIRST LAST full name entries. I don't want to import them until I've figure out how to group-apply a script to fix the first 28,000.

[kenneth2k1]

Hello:

1 suggestion:

You can make two calculation fields, NameFirst and NameLast:

NameFirst = RightWords(FULL NAME, 1)

NameLast = LeftWords(FULL NAME, 1)

This could give you problems if you need to create new records in the file, though. Also, if there is really a comma between last and first, this will show up. If so, I would probably wash it through Excel, eliminate the comma and separate the names while I'm at it.

Ken

[rdhaden]

If they are separated by a comma in the full name field:

Last Name = Left(Full Name, Position(Full Name, ",", 1, 1) - 1)

First Name = RightWords(Full Name, 1)

Of course this creates a problem if you have any ", Jr." or ", PhD." or anything like that, because the first comma may not be the one separating first from last names.

[LaRetta]

Thanks for your input! You're a great help on this forum. I appreciate all your suggestions.

[LaRetta]

That did the trick! The -1 stripped the comma. I don't care about PhD., etc. -- that should be in a title field anyway. I searched for 'jr' and manually will correct the three records which contain it. Thanks so much!

[RussBaker]

Check out my Handy Bits file in the Samples section of this forum. It has a couple of examples of parsing out names and addresses in the text Tab - plus some other goodies you might be interested in.

[LaRetta]

I've downloaded every example file here but haven't learned them all yet. Can you give me a file name to find it quickly? Does it happen to be RussCalcs from Oz? That was the db I plan to learn today. Thanks for your help kind sir!

[RussBaker]

Yes - RussCalcs from Oz is it...