New record search test functionality visible on production for a few hours.

LegacyUser

Lundgren said: We have added the ability to search for multiple primary names when searching records.

The main target for this feature is for a person who changed their name over their lifetime.

This will let you submit alternate names for a person in a single search.

To you use the feature, you click on the "Name" link in the search options to add additional names.

Here is a sample of searching for a person with two different surnames: https://www.familysearch.org/search/r...

You can currently add up to four names. If the given name does not change when the surname changes, you should repeat the given name with each surname.

We welcome your feedback!

Thank you!

LegacyUser

Paul said: I'm not sure how this is supposed to work, Lundgren.

At https://www.familysearch.org/search/r... I chose dates and filtered on collections that I knew provided matches, yet I still did not get her birth/christening source produced.

Only by removing the death detail was I able to get the other source. See https://www.familysearch.org/search/r...

LegacyUser

Lundgren said: Can you provide a link to the record you are looking for?

There are results for both Ann Thubron and Ann Judson in your result set.

LegacyUser

Paul said: Wow, that was quick! Yes, sure:

Christening at
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/619...

Death at
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/619...

As I say, I get the death record alone with both birth & death fields completed, but have to remove the death details to get the christening source appear. Of course, by removing the death detail I can't see / use that collection when I use the filter.

I guess the "less means more" maxim still applies in this revised type of search (i.e. less results when searching on multiple vitals).

I don't know if it works the same way from your account, but I have to hit "Update" to reveal the actual results produced using the two links in my original post.

LegacyUser

Lundgren said: It isn't unusual to have records removed from results when you add information that isn't on the record to the search.

(The christening record doesn't match the search query because the death information you are requesting isn't on the record.)

In this case, adding the death information caused the birth record to be removed from the results.

The multiple primary names are OR'd together, otherwise adding two primary names that are not both on the record would cause them to be excluded as well.

It is still a scoring game on the back end though, so records that have no events for the focus person of the search are still be returned. (I.E: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/619...)

LegacyUser

Paul said: In the case of females, this feature will be of limited use then. Obviously, (in this example) the maiden name - JUDSON - will apply to birth / christening events and her married name - THUBRON - only to those events from marriage to death.

LegacyUser

Lundgren said: It is not really possible today to make a single search find everything.

For now at least, you still need to modify the parameters to find the different records.

This will allow you to carry multiple name over from a tree person search into the search values, and then further tune the values for what you are looking for.

We are preparing still to unify the parameters from mobile and tree to return the best possible first search. This is a needed step to make that work better.

LegacyUser

Paul said: Oh, I'm sure it will be helpful, Lundgren, so sorry if I'm sounding negative about it. However, I think some users will believe this will be an all-encompassing provision for a one-off search for lifetime events relating to, say, a woman who changed her name at marriage!

I know things don't work that way when searching, say, on multiple vitals (ALL carried across from a search from the person page) for a person who retained the same surname throughout their life, but you know how some users' expectations go....!

LegacyUser

Paul said: Lundgren

Your heading advises: "New record search test functionality visible on production for a few hours". I thought I'd add this screenshot in case visibility of the feature was lost later during the day and users could no longer see what was being discussed.

LegacyUser

Paul said: Surprised to see this function still available today - I thought it was due to disappear after a few hours on the production version.

Also, equally surprised nobody else has participated in this thread. I'm sure there have been a number of requests over the years for something similar, but nobody seems interested.

Incidentally, I am pleased to report my experience today was much better than of yesterday. Maybe I inputted things slightly differently, but I got results relating to both a Mary Ann Cragg's birth AND Mary Ann Thuburn (Thorburn) death. For the latter, I just had to switch making an "Exact match" check from Birthplace to Death Place (and use wildcards - viz. Th*b*n, as there are countless variants of the surname).

If this IS adopted into the production model permanently, please make clear its availability - AND place advice about the availability of wildcard searches on the Search page, too! Okay, this kind of information might be available in a Help article somewhere, but why not make it clear on the most relevant page? It took a considerable amount of "trial and error" before I finally discovered the best ways of finding my relatives' records. (Wildcards, exact matches, searching for one vital at a time, etc.)