Family Historian User Group

Family Historian is a British product, and obviously caters to Brits. That's understandable, but I struggle with the date format when entering dates as I live across the pond and the format here is different.

The genealogy program I just stopped using allowed multiple date entry formats that was selected in Preferences. I could choose the format that FH uses, but the default is 10/30/200 (month/day/year). I was also able to choose the delimiter. Due to the way the QWERTY keyboard is laid out, I chose the period for a delimiter versus the slash. It made for faster, and more accurate date entry.

I like the date entry dialog box where you can select day - month - year via drop downs, it if were easier to enter into the acceptable format initially, the dialog box would seldom get used.

You can already enter dates in the format mm.dd.yyyy in the date fields in the property box. I'm not sure about other places where dates can be entered.

Have you seen Tools > Preferences > General > Preferred Standard Date Format and Preferred Short Date Format?

Bill

trevithick wrote: ↑

10 Nov 2022 02:35

Family Historian is a British product, and obviously caters to Brits. That's understandable, but I struggle with the date format when entering dates as I live across the pond and the format here is different.

Out of curiosity, where across the pond are you? I'm in Canada, and most people here use dd/mm/yyyy, whereas I know in the US, the standard is mm/dd/yyyy.

Don't forget you can enter dates as

10 aug 1881

for example and

c aug 1881

which avoids any confusion and ass Bill says you can set your prefered short date format in tools>preferences dates to mm.dd.yyyy

Once done you can enter your short dates in that format if you prefer.

Also, see the note about Dates at the bottom of Tools > Preferences > International that says the default depends on your PC Windows settings.

Why was this posted in the New Wish List Request forum?

I've moved it to the FH General Usage forum until it is decided that some new feature is needed.

As a general point, I would strongly advise against displaying dates in a numerical form because of the potential ambiguity. IMO, months should always be in text, so 10 Nov 2022 or Nov 10, 2022.

When I started entering my wife’s tree in FH, my first reference was a beautifully prepared family history document written by an elderly relative in the 1980s. As I worked through the data to check against original sources, it became clear that it was riddled with date errors, such as 9 Nov instead of 11 Sep. At some point in time the dates had been stored on computer, and were mangled by incorrect settings or interpretation

As I have always understood it, the standard entry format for genealogy is, as you say, to specify the month by using its short form name, rather than just the number.

As a Canadian, I long ago figured out that I always have to be clear when stating a date by spelling things out clearly, as things can get lost in translation both below the border and across the pond if I don't.

Teresa

Mark1834 wrote: ↑

10 Nov 2022 13:11

As a general point, I would strongly advise against displaying dates in a numerical form because of the potential ambiguity. IMO, months should always be in text, so 10 Nov 2022 or Nov 10, 2022.

fhtess65 wrote: ↑

10 Nov 2022 16:22

As I have always understood it, the standard entry format for genealogy is, as you say, to specify the month by using its short form name, rather than just the number.
...

Mark1834 wrote: ↑

10 Nov 2022 13:11

As a general point, I would strongly advise against displaying dates in a numerical form because of the potential ambiguity. IMO, months should always be in text, so 10 Nov 2022 or Nov 10, 2022.

I would agree that displaying 10 Nov 2022 (or Nov 10, 2022) is unambiguous and therefore preferable, but you can enter dates in numeric form and it appears that FH uses your dates setting to interpret and display the date correctly. So I (UK dates) can enter 10 11 2022 and it will display (and store) as "10 Nov 2022".

BillH, fhtess65, Teresa, Jane, MikeTate, Mark1834, and all others with kind replies,

I place across the pond is the Florida Panhandle where it is wet and blustery, but out of any danger this time around.

Shortly after posting, I found the Help article on Date Entry that provided the information I was looking for. I had scoured for some time without finding it, but didn't find it until making a fool of myself.

Personally, I have an aversion to abbreviations, and never use short dates in any writing or correspondence. I spell out everything including Boulevard and all other street names in addresses. This admission says more about me, and I'm sure some professional probably has a name for my proclivities.

Mark, I understand the need to eliminate ambiguity, and I'm only referring to date entry, not display, though I would much prefer long date display to short.

Mike, it was posted in Wish List because I had not found it in Tools > Preferences > International, therefor it was a wish. I had been through Preferences numerous times, but missed the explanation at the bottom. I was quite certain that I had entered dates per my usual format without them being interpreted correctly. That was more than likely on WikiTree since I am incorrect regarding FH.

...the Help files are so voluminous that it is difficult to find exactly what I'm looking for most of the time, and even when I've found the correct page of Help, it may be one of countless links that are easy to miss. Frequently I give up to search another time...

trevithick wrote: ↑

10 Nov 2022 20:37

I spell out everything including Boulevard and all other street names in addresses. This admission says more about me, and I'm sure some professional probably has a name for my proclivities.

You'll feel quite at home on FHUG then...

trevithick wrote: ↑

10 Nov 2022 20:37

Mike, it was posted in Wish List because I had not found it in Tools > Preferences > International, therefor it was a wish. I had been through Preferences numerous times, but missed the explanation at the bottom. I was quite certain that I had entered dates per my usual format without them being interpreted correctly. That was more than likely on WikiTree since I am incorrect regarding FH.

...the Help files are so voluminous that it is difficult to find exactly what I'm looking for most of the time, and even when I've found the correct page of Help, it may be one of countless links that are easy to miss. Frequently I give up to search another time...

We recognise that FH can be difficult to fathom all its options. That is why it is advisable to ask for advice in the General Usage forum first or whatever other forum is appropriate. If there is an answer, as in this case, then the problem is solved. Otherwise, then it is time to make a New Wish List Request

This thread seems to be mirrored in the New Wish List Request forum?

David2416 wrote: ↑

11 Nov 2022 08:18

This thread seems to be mirrored in the New Wish List Request forum?

Yes. It has been moved from there and a 'shadow topic' left behind for the benefit of people who were following it there -- the shadow topic redirects here. At some point in the future when a moderator has time, the shadow topic will be removed (on the assumption that everyone who is interested has found it in its new home by then).

OK, understood. But my last post was via that forum. Should it be locked?

David2416 wrote: ↑

11 Nov 2022 15:17

OK, understood. But my last post was via that forum. Should it be locked?

No -- if you post via the shadow post, it will end up here anyway -- the shadow is a pointer, not a real post.