Re: [docbook] On family/given/first/last names

[Dave Pawson <davep@dpawson.co.uk>]

Geraint North wrote:
> Out of interest, what do people use the 
> firstname/surname/lastname/givenname distinction for?  In Docbook, its 
> main use is clearly to identify document authors visually on the page. 

Contributors? A group of authors?


  Given the variation in naming schemes internationally, I'd be
> very unlikely to perform any sort of search restricted to givenname or 
> familyname, so what else could it be used for?

I like the suggestion on James page (one of the respondents) to enable
'search term' so that I could search on what the person wants rather
than what a non-local might use?



> 
> Perhaps the correct distinction is to list name components in 
> printing-order, with semantic markup to identify the sort order?

Which might be your or my interpretation? If it's known (not always
the case I guess) then surely better to use that person (or their
locale specific usage if known) for search?


   Under
> this mechanism:
> 
> <person>
>   <name sortIndex="2">Geraint</name>
>   <name sortIndex="1">North</name>
> </person>
> 
> ...would indicate that, when sorted, I should be sorted first by "North" 
> and then by "Geraint".


That would work for a search term.
What about 'how you'd like to be known'?
Could be either of the names, or even some 'nickname' or informal
name (see the variations on the blog!).

Fascinating.



regards

-- 
Dave Pawson
XSLT XSL-FO FAQ.
http://www.dpawson.co.uk