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 FileMaker Pro Custom Functions

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SmarterProper ( inText; prevCase; textSoFar; prefixList )

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  Average rating: 2.2  (193 votes)
  Discuss this Custom Function

David Tremmel, Duke University
http://www.duke.edu

Similar to the Proper function, but handles names with prefixes better

Sample Input:
SmarterProper ( "MACDONALD"; 2; ""; "Mc¶Mac" )
Sample Output:
MacDonald


 Then copy & paste into FileMaker Advanced's Edit Custom Function window.

Click here to copy To Clip Manager if you have myFMbutler's Clip Manager installed

Description:

** UPDATED on 6/15/09 to:
(1) really fix a bug affecting formatting around apostrophes
(2) fix a bug that gave incorrect results if there were multiple spaces between words
**


** UPDATED on 6/3/08 to:
(1) fix a bug affecting formatting around apostrophes
(2) add the ability to capitalize after hyphens
(3) add the ability to specify that the word start with a lowercase letter
**

SmarterProper is designed to handle names better than the standard Proper function. It returns text with the first letter of each word capitalized - like Proper does - but unlike Proper, it also:
(1) keeps any letters in the middle of words capitalized (if they were preceeded by a lowercase character in the original);
(2) capitalizes letters after an apostrophe (for names like O'Malley) - but only if the remaining text is longer than one character (to correctly format words like Didn't and It's);
(3) capitalizes the first letter of the second part of a hyphenated name;
(4) capitalizes letters after any prefixes you specify (e.g., Mc, Mac).

Syntax: SmarterProper( inText; prevCase; textSoFar; prefixList )
inText = the original text
prevCase = a number representing the case of the preceeding character (for recursion); it should be set to 2 to capitalized the first character of the text, or 0 if you want the first character of the text to be lowercase
textSoFar = the text string at this piont in the recursion; it should be set to empty when the function is called
prefixLIst = list of prefixes that should be followed by a capital letter (a return-delmiited list)

Examples:

SmarterProper ( "MACDONALD"; 2; ""; "Mc¶Mac" ) returns MacDonald
SmarterProper ( "LaMond"; 2; ""; "Mc¶Mac" ) returns LaMond (rather than Lamond)
SmarterProper ( "o'shea"; 2; ""; "Mc¶Mac" ) returns O'Shea
SmarterProper ( "SMITH-THOMAS"; 2; ""; "Mc¶Mac" ) returns Smith-Thomas

Note: these functions are not guaranteed or supported by BrianDunning.com. Please contact the individual developer with any questions or problems.

This is my Custom Function and I want to edit it

Discuss:

Does anyone review the reviews to catch SPAMM?

Lee Smith, Woodland
August 13, 2010 5:12pm

Yes.

Brian Dunning, Laguna Niguel, CA
August 13, 2010 5:19pm

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