Last Name First Name Question

[Joe McGuire]

I often have a problem with how OL 2003 puts a contact's name together. I
usually type a person's name, e.g., Dustin A. Hoffman. He then shows up in
the contact as something like Hoffman A Dustin. (No, not Hoffman, Dustin A,
which I guess I could live with) I click on the Full Name thingie and sure
enough the poor guy's name gut mishmashed. I straighten the matter out,
making sure the First Name is in the block for that, and the same for the
last Name. Close that out and OL has ignored me. Or messed it up even
further, although degrees of totally messed up are awfully academic.

So I tried John C. Smith, thinking that ought to be pretty simple. Even
Pocahontas could figure that one out. But no. In the little window his
name looks OK. But click on Full Name and his first name is now C. Smith
and his Last Name is John. But OL is consistent with the wierdness: In File
As he is John, C. Smith. What's up with OL?

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Nothing is up with OL. OL does what you tell it to. Tell us what settings
you specified for your Full Name field.

 

[Joe McGuire]

Thanks! I was not aware of this setting but when I found it it was set to
LastName, First. The File As was set to LastName, First, which is perfect.
My concern is the mixing up of Last and First Names when I specify the First
Name, MI and Last Name. In my example, if OL showed the name as John C.
Smith or Smith, John C. all would be (mostly) well, probably leaving me to
chose which order I prefer int he display. But with "John, C. Smith" OL
seems not to be following which is the First and which is the Last.

Nothing is up with OL. OL does what you tell it to. Tell us what settings
you specified for your Full Name field.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I often have a problem with how OL 2003 puts a contact's name together. I
usually type a person's name, e.g., Dustin A. Hoffman. He then shows up
in the contact as something like Hoffman A Dustin. (No, not Hoffman,
Dustin A, which I guess I could live with) I click on the Full Name
thingie and sure enough the poor guy's name gut mishmashed. I straighten
the matter out, making sure the First Name is in the block for that, and
the same for the last Name. Close that out and OL has ignored me. Or
messed it up even further, although degrees of totally messed up are
awfully academic.

So I tried John C. Smith, thinking that ought to be pretty simple. Even
Pocahontas could figure that one out. But no. In the little window his
name looks OK. But click on Full Name and his first name is now C. Smith
and his Last Name is John. But OL is consistent with the wierdness: In
File As he is John, C. Smith. What's up with OL?

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

You should always parse the name elements yourself to make sure you get the
results you want.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Thanks! I was not aware of this setting but when I found it it was set to
LastName, First. The File As was set to LastName, First, which is
perfect. My concern is the mixing up of Last and First Names when I
specify the First Name, MI and Last Name. In my example, if OL showed the
name as John C. Smith or Smith, John C. all would be (mostly) well,
probably leaving me to chose which order I prefer int he display. But
with "John, C. Smith" OL seems not to be following which is the First and
which is the Last.

Nothing is up with OL. OL does what you tell it to. Tell us what settings
you specified for your Full Name field.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I often have a problem with how OL 2003 puts a contact's name together.
I usually type a person's name, e.g., Dustin A. Hoffman. He then shows
up in the contact as something like Hoffman A Dustin. (No, not Hoffman,
Dustin A, which I guess I could live with) I click on the Full Name
thingie and sure enough the poor guy's name gut mishmashed. I straighten
the matter out, making sure the First Name is in the block for that, and
the same for the last Name. Close that out and OL has ignored me. Or
messed it up even further, although degrees of totally messed up are
awfully academic.

So I tried John C. Smith, thinking that ought to be pretty simple. Even
Pocahontas could figure that one out. But no. In the little window his
name looks OK. But click on Full Name and his first name is now C.
Smith and his Last Name is John. But OL is consistent with the
wierdness: In File As he is John, C. Smith. What's up with OL?