Sorting Syntax
Updated 10/2019
Sorting Syntax is used for Organizing:
[Dates] [People] [Photos]
Most programs sort "text" from left to right. Numeric sorting is
different. This scheme is based on TEXT Sorting (left to right) even
thought we make use of numbers. To minimize the character count we assume
the parents will have less than 10 children (which would require double the
number of characters)
so... you read from left to right with each additional "numeral"
indicating another generation and a "alphabetical letter" suffix indicating type
of affiliation
The main lineage site (Dr. Byron and Mary Anne Truax) and various tangent lineage sites start with some original couple or person. That person is typically designated with a zero prefix
0 prefix for the main/starting couple or person. Example: Dr. Byron and Mary Anne have a "0" prefix
Offspring are designated by sequential numeral prefixes (1,2,3...) and a
letter suffix to designate a genetic or in-law relationship to the parent
lineage.
If the affiliation to the parent lineage is genetic (or adoption) an "a"
suffix is used.
If affiliation is by partnership (marriage etc) then a "b" suffix is used for a
first marriage/partner with subsequent sequential letters ("c", and if necessary
"d") for subsequent partners.
Example: Helen Truax is the 2nd child of Dr. Byron and Marry Anne so Helen's
prefix/suffix is 2a
Ian Ross, is married to Helen Truax, so Ian's prefix is "2" and Ian's suffix is
"b" (2b)
note: the sorting syntax does not attempt to account for Ian's parents or
siblings, but we can account for his 1st wife and children. If someone
wants to add data for Ian's parent's family lineage then we would start a new
sort with the same logic for that subsection of data.
The syntax carries through to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Example: Terrence Joseph Truax is the 7th child of Dr. Byron and Marry Anne,
so Terry is 7a and his wife Laura (Sumner) Truax is 7b
their 3 children are 71a (Sumner), 72a (Porter), 73a (Burnley), while
Sumner's wife Erin is 71b. If and or when Sumner and Erin have children,
their first child's suffix will be 711a and their 2nd child would be 712a.
If Sumner's 2nd child has a child child (Sumner's grandchild), then that child's
prefix would be 7121a.
Catherine (Frappier) Ryland (52a) is not genetically related to Dr. Byron and Marry Anne, but she is genetically related to Robert (Frap) Frappier (5b), who is married to Mary (Truax) Frappeer (5a). Catherine's husband Daniel Ryland is related by marriage so he is 52b. Taylor's first wife Marta (Gomez) is 51b and her twins are 511a and 512a). We don't currently have any "mixed" families with both partners bringing children into the blend, so we didn't attempt to account for that possibility.
In most cases people don't start a family with their high-school sweetheart, so the letter prefix designations are not intended to sequence all partnerships and marriages. Example: In Mary 's case, Frap is still considered 5b because Mary's first marriage to Jim was short and there were no children. Perhaps Frap (Robert Frappier) should have had a "c" suffix (5c), but we don't have any info about Jim archived. It isn't always practical to account for all variations, so we designate with what seems logical at the time.
There will be variations and modifications to the designations as our universe expands. Example, Laura Lopez is Tom Truax's partner so she is 3c (Tom was previously married to Pamela Blake). When we account for Laura's family, we reboot with her mother and father as 0, so in that tree Laura would be 2a and her brother Mark would be 3a, but we aren't likely to archive Mark individually, so Mark and is wife Kim are designated together as 3, but they relate back to the Truax lineage under Laura Lopez 3c, so if we need a full path we could designate Mark Lopez as 3c_3? Mark and Kim's kids are Joe (31a) and Ashlee (32a). Joe's wife is 31b.
There is and Excel spreadsheet for sorting (birthdays) for the Dr. Byron and Mary Anne's lineage that can be use for sorting the order of Dr Byron and Mary Anne's grandchildren. That designator is another "column" and not captured outside of the spreadsheet as part of the prefix syntax.
The organizational syntax may not be "perfect", but it is economical and arguably better than anarchy?
Dates