Alternative names

[AimHere]

Hi again,

I'd like to see the "Name"/"Translated Name"/"Alternative Names" fields in People View get some added functionality.

Suppose I have "Show people added from movie credits" selected in Preferences, and I add a new movie (letting whatever plugin applies download the credits from the Web). It would be great if PVD would scan the "Name", Translated Name", and "Alternative Names" of all existing People records for matches to each actor in the film credits, and display a list of matching People so that I can choose which record the movie ought to be added to.

This would be really useful for actors that frequently perform under multiple aliases. As things stand now, if a person appears in a movie's credits under a certain alias, but I have him/her in my database under a different name, PVD will merely create a new People record using the credited alias, ignoring the fact that I had the alias listed in "Alternative Names".

This could work both ways, too (assuming "Show movies added from filmography" is selected in Preferences): If I'm in People View and import an actor's filmography, and one of the imported titles already appears in my Movies list within a certain movie's "Also known as" field, PVD ought to ask whether the imported title ought to be linked to the existing movie or added as a new record.

Both of these features ought to be selectable options, of course, since they might not appeal to every user.

Aimhere

[nostra]

If you go to Tools -> Preferences -> Miscellaneous -> Adding records and check "Show selection dialog if similar records are already in database" then you will have more control of what is happening when records are added. The problem is the dialog will popup every time PVD is uncertain if it should add a new record or use a similar one.

I could improve this particular feature to use Alternative names / Akas as well, but enabling this for all actions would cause dramatic performance fallback as these fields are not indexed (and can not be).

[AimHere]

Revisiting this topic 'cause it's still frustrating me...

If you go to Tools -> Preferences -> Miscellaneous -> Adding records and check "Show selection dialog if similar records are already in database" then you will have more control of what is happening when records are added. The problem is the dialog will popup every time PVD is uncertain if it should add a new record or use a similar one.

I could improve this particular feature to use Alternative names / Akas as well, but enabling this for all actions would cause dramatic performance fallback as these fields are not indexed (and can not be).

That's a shame. I can't tell you how many times I've added a movie and imported its actors list via a plugin... only to find that PVD added a new person record, instead of adding to an existing record. And all because the person was credited under an alternative name... even though I had that alternative name listed under the existing record.

Maybe it would take a lot of programming work to index all the alternative names, and slow down the program somewhat... but isn't the whole point of a computer DBMS to reduce the amount of manual data-entry, cross-checking, and verification needed to maintain a database?

Aimhere

[nostra]

I have some entries about titles and (alternative) names in my TODO list, but these changes really need much time to implement, so please, be patient.

[AimHere]

I have some entries about titles and (alternative) names in my TODO list, but these changes really need much time to implement, so please, be patient.

Okay, I'll try.    It's nice to know you're working on improving things though.