did you know that using {{Name}} and similar in text of biography may not be a good idea?

+21 votes
298 views

Hi! I asked some questions about using {{Name}} and other templates in a biography to autopopulate information (see [this thread] & [this one]).

There does not appear to be any specific guidelines about using such templates in text - and I don't really think there should be - BUT... I do believe folks (like me) who use such shortcuts in text should be aware that the autopopulated info will not be included in a gedcom export (this may change in the future, but it's true for now).

So... before you use any of the nifty shortcuts to pull a profile's datafield information into the text, consider how the gedcom export will look with {{Name}} instead of the person's name.

Never heard of these nifty shortcuts? Check out [this list]. These variables were originally designed to be used within a template (which only Leaders can create), but since they also work outside a template, they have been used (a lot) in text. Other shortcut templates have been designed for use either within a template or in text ([this one], for example). These also will export as the template name instead of the information the template displays.

I think there are too many benefits to using these templates in text (e.g., consistency between text and datafields; consistency of style across many profiles within a project) to establish guidelines that would say not to. But you really need to consider the impact on sharing the profile's information via gedcom export when using them.

And in order to consider, you need to know. And now you do :D

in WikiTree Tech by Liz Shifflett G2G6 Pilot (630k points)
I'm barely aware that {{name}} exists,  and I can see where {{name}} might be a nice shortcut. However, I think it's easier to just type Smith than {{#profile:LastNameAtBirth}}
You're at least a couple of steps ahead of me, Anne; I was totally unaware! And I agree, I can't see how/where/why this might be useful in a profile.

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