From: j d. <jd...@ga...> - 2012-06-28 15:56:44
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I'm confused. What trailing whitespace is unwanted? The trailing whitespace of a record? Or the trailing whitespace in a search expression? If the former, I can imagine of only rare cases where it is desireable to keep a trailing space. Generally it is removed from records when entered in computerized records but there are rare cases where it is desireable, that depend on language, dialect, time period, et cetera. I have encountered old records once or twice where the trailing space was important and had no way of including it in a computerized record, effectively making it an incorrect transcription. Modern databases can have records that contain trailing spaces. It won't break anything except perhaps ancient legacy data models that haven't changed one whit since they started keeping databases on punchcards in the late 1800's. If the latter, then it cripples the ability to narrow searches to specific words or particles as part of personal, family, place names, et cetera. Many names contain spaces. The spaces would become inconvenient and some people would remove them, which would make the records inaccurate. That would be a problem for other researchers using those records. Personally, I would not want trailing whitespace removed from either records or searches. Most especially from searches. Data should be preserved and propagated in their original forms and whatever must be done to accomodate that is what must be done, rather than continually alter them for some convenience or other. jd -- |