Last Name Prefix Category File (personLastNamePrefix*.dat) (Understanding the Sun Match Engine)

Understanding the Sun Match Engine

Last Name Prefix Category File (personLastNamePrefix*.dat)

The last name prefix category file defines standardized versions of last name prefixes, such as “Van” or “Le”. This file is used to standardize these prefixes prior to standardizing the last name when comparing person names. The Sun Match Engine uses this file when a last name field is defined for normalization or standardization in the Match Field file.

The syntax of this file is:

original-value standardized-form

You can modify or add entries in this table as needed. Table 12 describes the columns in the personLastNamePrefix*.dat file.

Table 12 Last Name Prefix Category File


Column	Description
original-value	The original value of the last name prefix.
standardized-form	The standardized version of the original value. A zero (0) in this field indicates that the original value is already in its standardized form. If this column contains a prefix instead of a zero, that prefix must also be listed in a different entry as an original value with a standardized form of “0”.

Following is an excerpt from the personLastNamePrefixUS.dat file. Some of these prefixes are already in their standardized form, such as “Los” and “Mac”.

LOS                 0
MAC                 0
MC                  MAC
SAINT               0
ST                  SAINT
VAN                 0
VAN DER             0
VANDE               VAN DER