[VCARDDAV] SORT-STRING [was:vcardrev nits]

["Javier Godoy" <[e-mail]>]

On Wednesday, September 16, 2009 12:14 PM Peter Saint-Andre wrote:

> On 9/15/09 10:24 PM, Javier Godoy wrote:
>> Peter Saint-Andre wrote,

>>> 7.7.5. SORT-STRING
>>>
>>>   locale- or national-language- specific sorting
>>>
>>> This is hard to parse. I suggest:
>>>
>>>   The sort string is used to provide family name or
>>>   given name text that is to be used in sorting of
>>>   the formatted name and structured name types in the
>>>   context of a particular locale or national language.
>>
>> I don't agree with the "context of a particular locale or national
>> language" part, as it seems to suggest that the collation is well-known
>> and defined somewhere else.
>> I would modify it by "an implied particular locale or national language."
>
> That's better, yes.
>
>> Besides, the current special note "The sort string is used to provide
>> family name or given name text..." is ambiguous. How could the
>> sort-string be of use if one cannot tell whether it applies to the given
>> name or the family name.
>>
>> Example 1
>> FN:Rene van der Harten
>> N:van der Harten;Rene;J.;Sir;R.D.O.N.
>> SORT-STRING:Harten
>>
>> Example 2
>> FN:Rene van der Harten
>> N:van der Harten;Rene;J.;Sir;R.D.O.N.
>> SORT-STRING:Rene
>>
>> In example 2 were specified (which is valid according to the
>> definition), I would collate "van der Harten" under R.
>
> Correct. But that would be stupid. :) We can't save implementers from
> their own stupidity, but I suppose we can help them understand that the
> SORT-STRING is used for alphabetical sorting of family names containing
> multiple words.

I agree it would be stupid, but it is allowed by the definition!. I think 
there is an implicit agreement on using SORT-STRING for specifying a collation 
key for the family name, despite of the definition allowing either "family 
name or given name". In order to solve this ambiguity, the purpose of 
SORT-STRING should not mention the given name (which is not going to be 
specified there).

I propose (from the text  you suggested above):
[[
Purpose:  To specify the family name text to be used for 
national-language-specific sorting of the FN and N types.

Special notes:  The sort string is used to provide family name text that is to 
be used in sorting of the formatted name and structured name types in the 
context of an implied locale or national language. Without this information, 
sorting algorithms could incorrectly sort this vCard within a sequence of 
sorted vCards. When this property is present in a vCard, then this value, 
instead of the family name, is used for sorting the vCard.
]]

(Alternatively, it may be "family name text or family and given names text" 
instead of "family name tet")


Best Regards

Javier