Dates Section

The Dates Section controls the display of dates and lifespans. In this context, a date refers to a single date field in TMG, and a lifespan refers to the combination of the birth date and the death date.

A single date field in TMG can contain two dates for "Date1 or Date2" dates, "From-To" dates, and "Between Date1 and Date2" dates. In those cases, Second Site will format both dates using the chosen date format.

Person Page Dates

Person Date Format

The Person Date Format property controls the format of dates used in the narrative or grid section of person page entries. Other dates in the person page entry are controlled by more specific options below.

See the Date Formats section below for an explanation of date formats.

Subject Lifespan Option

The Subject Lifespan Option property controls whether or not a lifespan appears underneath the subject's name in the person page entry. The choices are as follows.

Choice	Description
No lifespan	No lifespan appears in the person page entry
Lifespan on second line	The primary birth date and/or the primary death date are displayed on the line following the subject's name.

Choice

Description

No lifespan

No lifespan appears in the person page entry

Lifespan on second line

The primary birth date and/or the primary death date are displayed on the line following the subject's name.

Subject Lifespan Format

The Subject Lifespan Format property controls the format of the lifespan on person pages. The choices are as follows.

Choice Example
Lifespan
Date Format Example Output

bbb date, ddd date Aaa d Mmm yyy b. c 1865, d. 3 Jan 1905

(date - date) Aaa yyy (c 1865 - 1905)

(date-date) Aaa yyy (c 1865-1905)

Choice	Example Lifespan Date Format	Example Output
bbb date, ddd date	`Aaa d Mmm yyy`	`b. c 1865, d. 3 Jan 1905`
(date - date)	`Aaa yyy`	`(c 1865 - 1905)`
(date-date)	`Aaa yyy`	`(c 1865-1905)`

The format of the dates in the lifespan is controlled by the Subject Date Format property. In the examples above, I chose a date format (column 2) that works well with the given lifespan format. In the Lifespan Formats, "bbb" refers to the "born abbreviation" and "ddd" refers to the "died abbreviation", both of which are strings set via the Date Strings 1 section.

Subject Date Format

The Subject Date Format property controls the format of dates used in the main subject's lifespan entry. See the Date Formats section below for an explanation of date formats.

Spouse Lifespan Option

The Spouse Lifespan Option property controls whether or not the spouse (or partner) lifespan appears in the family section of the person page entry. The choices are the same as the Person Lifespan Option, above.

Spouse Lifespan Format

The Spouse Lifespan Format property controls the format of the spouse (or partner) lifespan in the family section of the person page entry. The choices are the same as the Person Lifespan Format, above.

Spouse Date Format

The Spouse Date Format property controls the format of dates used in the spouse lifespan in the family section of the person page entry. See the Date Formats section below for an explanation of date formats.

Parent Lifespan Option

The Parent Lifespan Option property controls whether or not a lifespan appears in the parent section of the person page entry. The choices are the same as the Person Lifespan Option, above.

Parent Lifespan Format

The Parent Lifespan Format property controls the format of lifespans in the parent section of the person page entry. The choices are the same as the Person Lifespan Format, above.

Parent Date Format

The Parent Date Format property controls the format of dates used in the parent section of the person page entry. See the Date Formats section below for an explanation of date formats.

Child Lifespan Option

The Child Lifespan Option property controls whether or not a lifespan appears in the children section of the person page entry. The choices are the same as the Person Lifespan Option, above.

Child Lifespan Format

The Child Lifespan Format property controls the format of lifespans in the children section of the person page entry. The choices are the same as the Person Lifespan Format, above.

Child Date Format

The Child Date Format property controls the format of dates used in the children section of the person page entry. See the Date Formats section below for an explanation of date formats.

Index Page Dates

Index Lifespan Option

The Index Lifespan Option property controls whether or not a lifespan appears on index pages. The choices are as follows.

Choice	Description
No lifespan	No lifespan appears on index pages
Lifespan on subject line	The primary birth date and/or the primary death date are displayed beginning on the same line as the subject's name.

Choice

Description

No lifespan

No lifespan appears on index pages

Lifespan on subject line

The primary birth date and/or the primary death date are displayed beginning on the same line as the subject's name.

Index Lifespan Format

The Index Lifespan Format property controls the format of lifespans on the index pages. The choices are the same as the Person Lifespan Format, above.

Index Date Format

The Index Date Format property controls the format of dates used on the index pages. See the Date Formats section below for an explanation of date formats.

Site Activity Dates

Site Activity Date Format

The Site Activity Date Format property controls the format of the Last Edited date shown in the person page entry and the Build Date shown at the bottom of most pages. See the Date Formats section below for an explanation of date formats.

Date Formats

Second Site has multiple date format properties. The choices are the same in all cases.

Choice Example Output

P Aaaa d Mmmm yyy before 3 February 1970

CI Aaa d Mmm yyy b 3 Feb 1970

Aaa d MMM yyy b 3 FEB 1970

Aaaa Mmmm d, yyy before February 3, 1970

Aaaa Mmm d, yyy before Feb 3, 1970

Aaaa d-Mmm-yyyy before 3-Feb-1970

Aaa d-Mmm-yyyy b 3-Feb-1970

Aaaa d. Mmmm yyy before 3. February 1970

Aaaa d. Mmm. yyy before 3. Feb. 1970

Aaaa Mmmm yyy before February 1970

Aaa Mmm yyy b Feb 1970

Aaaa yyy before 1970

Aaa yyy b 1970

Aaaa yyy Mmmm before 1970 February

Aaa yyy Mmm b 1970 Feb

Aaaa yyy Mmmm d before 1970 February 3

Aaa yyy Mmm d b 1970 Feb 3

Aaaa d.m.yyy before 3.2.1970

Aaaa dd.mm.yyyy before 03.02.1970

Aaa d.m.yyy b 3.2.1970

Aaa dd.mm.yyyy b 03.02.1970

Aaa MM/DD/YYYY b 02/03/1970

Aaa DD/MM/YYYY b 02/03/1970

Aaa YYYY/MM/DD b 1970/02/03

* Aaa [\Y=]yyy [\M=]m [\D=]d b Y=1970 M=2 D=3

	Choice	Example Output
P	`Aaaa d Mmmm yyy`	`before 3 February 1970`
CI	`Aaa d Mmm yyy`	`b 3 Feb 1970`
	`Aaa d MMM yyy`	`b 3 FEB 1970`
	`Aaaa Mmmm d, yyy`	`before February 3, 1970`
	`Aaaa Mmm d, yyy`	`before Feb 3, 1970`
	`Aaaa d-Mmm-yyyy`	`before 3-Feb-1970`
	`Aaa d-Mmm-yyyy`	`b 3-Feb-1970`
	`Aaaa d. Mmmm yyy`	`before 3. February 1970`
	`Aaaa d. Mmm. yyy`	`before 3. Feb. 1970`
	`Aaaa Mmmm yyy`	`before February 1970`
	`Aaa Mmm yyy`	`b Feb 1970`
	`Aaaa yyy`	`before 1970`
	`Aaa yyy`	`b 1970`
	`Aaaa yyy Mmmm`	`before 1970 February`
	`Aaa yyy Mmm`	`b 1970 Feb`
	`Aaaa yyy Mmmm d`	`before 1970 February 3`
	`Aaa yyy Mmm d`	`b 1970 Feb 3`
	`Aaaa d.m.yyy`	`before 3.2.1970`
	`Aaaa dd.mm.yyyy`	`before 03.02.1970`
	`Aaa d.m.yyy`	`b 3.2.1970`
	`Aaa dd.mm.yyyy`	`b 03.02.1970`
	`Aaa MM/DD/YYYY`	`b 02/03/1970`
	`Aaa DD/MM/YYYY`	`b 02/03/1970`
	`Aaa YYYY/MM/DD`	`b 1970/02/03`
*	`Aaa [\Y=]yyy [\M=]m [\D=]d`	`b Y=1970 M=2 D=3`

The entry marked with P is the default for the Person Date Format. The entry marked with CI is the default for the Child Date Format and Index Date Format. The * entry is not a very useful format in a genealogical context. I included it to show the flexability of the date formatting capability.

Date formats can be customized. See the Custom Date Formats page.