I am trying to parse out values from a field called entire_name formatted as (last,first middle suffix). For starters, I want to extract the last_name data but I cannot use the left words function because the last name may have one or two names, ie Smith Jones. What I would like to do is extract everything to the left of the comma for the last_name field, then the first word to the right of the comma for the first_name field. The second word after the comma would be the middle_name unless it is Jr., Sr, II, III, IV, etc, in which case it would be the suffix.

Try:

GetValue ( Substitute ( entire_name ; "," ; ¶ ) ; 1 )

to get the last name, and so on.

See also:

http://www.fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/185377/

This subject comes up from time to time.

Here are three threads that might help you.

Extracting name

Calculation Help

Break Full Name into three parts

HTH

Lee