Why not:
<namePart type="given">Steven</namePart>
<namePart type="primegiven">Michael</namePart>
or something similar. It's an extra step in processing, but gives
clear direction as to both order and importance.
Doug
On Wed, 24 Dec 2003 22:38:01 +0100
Markus Hoenicka <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Bruce D'Arcus writes:
> > Yeah, so in this case the "middle" name functions as a
> > "first" name! What a mess (and that not even considering
> > non-Western names)...
> >
>
> Yes I know. The only good reason to use "first" and "middle" as
> descriptors is that they are short. I don't know better names in
> English. The German language has the concept of the "Rufname"
> which is the one given name used to address a person in an
> informal conversation or in a personal letter.
>
> > My own (no doubt weak) solution is still to abbreviate those
> > names in my metadata that can be, and to not abbreviate those
> > that can't (in a style that does not abbreviate). So:
> >
> > <namePart type="given">Franklin</namePart>
> > <namePart type="given">D.</namePart>
> >
> > and...
> >
> > <namePart type="given">S.</namePart>
> > <namePart type="given">Michael</namePart>
> >
>
> This way you lose information.
>
> > I would never use a style that requires the secondary-level
> > name to be spelled out in full though. They do exist,
> > however, which strikes me as a little silly.
> >
>
> Sure it is. But if you want to publish in one of these journals
> the style is not at your discretion.
>
> > Actually, come to think of it, perhaps the above ought to be:
> >
> > <namePart type="given">S. Michael</namePart>
> >
> > Still not ideal, though, but a processor could interpret it
> > as saying"treat this name part as a complete entity for
> > formatting."
> >
>
> This basically means mixing structure and formatting. SGML and
> XML were developed to separate the data proper from the
> formatting. This is why I don't think the above is an ideal
> solution.
>
> regards,
> Markus
>
> --
> Markus Hoenicka
> [log in to unmask]
> (Spam-protected email: replace the quadrupeds with "mhoenicka")
> http://www.mhoenicka.de
>
>
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