Possessive Pronoun Usage

[Grimesgang 0]

I am trying to modify the expanded census tag as given in Terry's Expanded Census Tag example. I am working with the 1880 census, where the person's birthplace, along with those of his/her parents is given. I am trying to add that to the Principal role (at least at first). I am using the possessive pronoun for the Principal [PP], but my problem is that there is no possessive pronoun for Principal Other [PO]. I tried being logical (shame on me!) and tried [POP], but that didn't work.

 

My sentence structure is:

[PFS] birthplace was <listed as [M3]|not listed>, [PP] father's birthplace was <listed as [M4]|not listed>, and [PP] mother's birthplace was <listed as [M5]|not listed>. [POFS] birthplace was <listed as [M6]|not listed>, [XXX] father's birthplace was <listed as [M7]|not listed>, and [XXX] mother's birthplace was <listed as [M8]|not listed>.

 

My problem is with what I can use for [XXX]. I suppose I can use the possessive of the given ([PFS]/[POFS]) again, but I was trying to make it a little less rote. Is there anything available? On another tack, am I doing this in the wrong way or in the wrong place?

 

Finally, if there ISN'T such an animal as [POP], could that be added to a future upgrade? I would think it would be of use.

[Grimesgang 0]

I am trying to modify the expanded census tag as given in Terry's Expanded Census Tag example. I am working with the 1880 census, where the person's birthplace, along with those of his/her parents is given. I am trying to add that to the Principal role (at least at first). I am using the possessive pronoun for the Principal [PP], but my problem is that there is no possessive pronoun for Principal Other [PO]. I tried being logical (shame on me!) and tried [POP], but that didn't work.

 

My sentence structure is:

[PFS] birthplace was <listed as [M3]|not listed>, [PP] father's birthplace was <listed as [M4]|not listed>, and [PP] mother's birthplace was <listed as [M5]|not listed>. [POFS] birthplace was <listed as [M6]|not listed>, [XXX] father's birthplace was <listed as [M7]|not listed>, and [XXX] mother's birthplace was <listed as [M8]|not listed>.

 

My problem is with what I can use for [XXX]. I suppose I can use the possessive of the given ([PFS]/[POFS]) again, but I was trying to make it a little less rote. Is there anything available? On another tack, am I doing this in the wrong way or in the wrong place?

 

Finally, if there ISN'T such an animal as [POP], could that be added to a future upgrade? I would think it would be of use.

 

Here is another piece of confusion. My structures that say "<listed as [M3]|not listed>" all come up saying "not listed", even though I have put information in [M3], etc. with the correct ||symbols. Obviously I am misusing the | symbol, but it makes sense to me. Why doesn't it to the program?

[Grimesgang 0]

Here is another piece of confusion. My structures that say "<listed as [M3]|not listed>" all come up saying "not listed", even though I have put information in [M3], etc. with the correct ||symbols. Obviously I am misusing the | symbol, but it makes sense to me. Why doesn't it to the program?

 

OK, now that I've read the manual (ouch!), I see that I AM misusing the | symbol. I guess further testing is required. here I thought I had a neat little conditional trick. However, my first question in the original post about possessive pronouns still stands.

[Terry Reigel 0]

My sentence structure is:

[PFS] birthplace was , [PP] father's birthplace was , and [PP] mother's birthplace was . [POFS] birthplace was , [XXX] father's birthplace was , and [XXX] mother's birthplace was .

 

My problem is with what I can use for [XXX].

In the Male sentence, use "her" and in the female sentence use "his." There's really no need to use a variable.

[Grimesgang 0]

In the Male sentence, use "her" and in the female sentence use "his." There's really no need to use a variable.

 

OK, my immediate problem is resolved (I think). Back to the question about the possessive pronoun for [PO]. Does one exist? Should one exist?

[Shaundm 0]

Here is another piece of confusion. My structures that say "<listed as [M3]|not listed>" all come up saying "not listed", even though I have put information in [M3], etc. with the correct ||symbols. Obviously I am misusing the | symbol, but it makes sense to me. Why doesn't it to the program?

 

I have the same problem, can you create this type of variable?

[Terry Reigel 0]

I have the same problem, can you create this type of variable?

Can you give an example of a usage that would work better than "his" and "hers"?

[Grimesgang 0]

Can you give an example of a usage that would work better than "his" and "hers"?

 

For the example I gave, his/hers works. However, the lack of a possessive pronoun availability for the [PO] variable seems to be a shortcoming in flexibility. Apparently you don't agree.

[Terry Reigel 0]

I agree there would be a certian symmetry and elegance to having all the various combinations available. But as a practical matter, variables are most useful when they do something you can't easily do without them. For example, a possessive pronoun for witnesses is very helpful, because you will not in general know how many witnessess there might be, nor their sex(s). The variable takes care of that, getting the right pronoun in any case.

 

With principals, you always know there are either one or two, and you can often (but probably not always) anticipate the sex of the "other" principal knowing the sex of the focus principal. Thus the variable is less helpful.

 

Given a long wishlist of enhancements users have expressed, this would thus not come up high on my priorities if I were making the decision, which of course I'm not. That's Bob Velke's realm.

 

Part of my reason for asking for an example was to see if anyone had found a real life case where the variable would work better than just entering "him" or "hers," because I thought if there were such a case it might raise the priority of this request.