We had to change one of our constituent's name. It used to be John Smith, and has been changed to John Jones. I have the search screen marked to look at aliases, but when I search for John Smith his record is not displayed.

What is the purpose of marking aliases if you can't search for them except in a query? What if I can't remember the new name and need to search on the old name? Vicki P. Mayhew
Database Manager
Montgomery Bell Academy
Nashville, TN 37205
(615) 369-5369
[Email Removed]

Hi Vicki You didn't say for sure how you had entered the alias in the alias dialogue box... make sure you add the last name only as the alias (Smith). When you do a general search on Smith, John, and have the appropriate box at the bottom checked, you should see John Smith in parens after the name John Jones. Try it and see if it works... Rachel Newell, Donor Services Prairie View Mental Health Newton, KS 67114 [Email Removed]

Thanks Rachel. That was exactly what I needed. I was entering First and Last Name. I changed it to Last, First and it worked fine. Thanks again. Vicki P. Mayhew Database Manager Montgomery Bell Academy Nashville, TN 37205 (615) 369-5369 [Email Removed]

Here is the problem. There is only one field for an alias, instead of having a separate field for each part of the name. RE stores this one field as if it were the last name and uses the first name and middle name from the main record. So, if you entered the alias as "John Smith" and are searching for last name "Smith" and first name "John", you can't find it, because the last name is "John Smith" and the first name is "John". Drew J. Drew Allen Children's Hospital of Philadelphia [Email Removed] Check out the user run RE Forum at http://www.blackbus.org/ . Check out the Crystal Reports blog "Crystal Clear" at http://www.blackbus.org/blogs/viewblog.php?userid=63

Because people have different preferences, I create two aliases when working with nicknames. I do one as Sandy Smith, and another as Smith, Sandy. These work fine if you enter them in the quick find in either form. However, as Drew mentioned, if you use the search screen on Open a constituent, you must put either of these forms in just the last name field in order to find the constituent. We have a lot of prople who use the quick find, and using the first name as well as the last keeps them from having to scroll through all of the Smiths. Jo Ward Neuhaus Education Center (713) 664-7676 ext. 233 [Email Removed]

As we all have mentioned the alias field is only for last name and org name. The only "alias" that you can use for first name is the middle name field and you have to check the check nickname field to check on that. I wouldn't even use the ", John" in my alias. I would just put in alias "Smith" with a type of former last name. If it is a female and she changed due to marriage all you need to do is put it in maiden name and RE creates an alias for you. *** I can spell, I just can't type. Where is spell check? Melissa S. Graves Manager, Development Database & Direct Mail Planned Parenthood of Connecticut [Email Removed] 203-752-2804

I agree with Melissa. Typing in more than the last name is in the alias box is extra effort/keystrokes, etc, and counter-intuitive to the program.

By the way, RE will add the maiden name in the alias box IF you have that CHECKED AS A BUSINESS RULE (Configuration/ Constituent general options). Rachel Newell, Donor Services
Prairie View Mental Health
Newton, KS 67114
[Email Removed]

But there are cases where the last name simply is not enough. I had one friend in college who did not get along with his family and changed both his first and last name legally. I've also known a couple of M-F transsexuals. What do you do in that case? Drew J. Drew Allen Children's Hospital of Philadelphia [Email Removed] Check out the user run RE Forum at http://www.blackbus.org/ . Check out the Crystal Reports blog "Crystal Clear" at http://www.blackbus.org/blogs/viewblog.php?userid=63

Drew, I see you run across the darndest things... and yes, you're right. There are reasons for doing something a little different in those cases. They aren't the norm however.. and that was where I was coming from.. the norm. Your constituency must keep you on your toes!! :) Rachel Newell, Donor Services Prairie View Mental Health Newton, KS 67114 [Email Removed]

They're not part of my constituency. The one M-F is the DJ at the bar where I go two-stepping. Another is a member of a square dance club in DC. We also had one that was a member of our square dance club for awhile. Drew J. Drew Allen Children's Hospital of Philadelphia [Email Removed] Check out the user run RE Forum at http://www.blackbus.org/ . Check out the Crystal Reports blog "Crystal Clear" at http://www.blackbus.org/blogs/viewblog.php?userid=63

I think it may be informational to have former first name but I don't think that adding it with a comma after the last name makes it searchable. Does it? *** I can spell, I just can't type. Where is spell check? Melissa S. Graves [Email Removed]

It is searchable, if you know how to search. You have to remember that the entire alias is stored in the LAST name field in the search table. If you are storing any of your aliases as "Last, First" you can search on the first name in the alias if you put it (with appropriate wildcards) in the last name field on the search screen. Drew J. Drew Allen Children's Hospital of Philadelphia [Email Removed] Check out the user run RE Forum at http://www.blackbus.org/ . Check out the Crystal Reports blog "Crystal Clear" at http://www.blackbus.org/blogs/viewblog.php?userid=63

Drew -- I can't get alternate first names to come up (via the Alias) in my searches, no matter how many different ways I've tried. I'm not understanding the info in your note. Kathleen The Bryn Mawr School [Email Removed]

Are you searching the LAST name field? For example, there is a local politician named Felice Fernandez who is more well known as Happy Fernandez. If I have an alias of "Fernandez, Happy" and search on Last Name = "*Happy" First Name = "Felice" it will find her record, because the alias is stored in the LAST name field. If I search for people with FIRST name "Happy", I will not find her, because the alias does not change the first name field, so her first name will always be "Felice". Does that make it clearer? Drew J. Drew Allen Children's Hospital of Philadelphia [Email Removed] Check out the user run RE Forum at http://www.blackbus.org/ . Check out the Crystal Reports blog "Crystal Clear" at http://www.blackbus.org/blogs/viewblog.php?userid=63

In this example, wouldn't it be easier to put "Happy" in the Nickname field?? Then when searching, keep the Nickname box checked? When we have first name "aliases", that's what I use...we only use the Alias field for Last Name aliases. Tracie Cassidy Database Coordinator Seattle Children's Hospital Foundation (206) 987-6833 [Email Removed]