The person_note, book_note, and film_note prototypes use SmartDates. By judicially assigning values to $StartDate, $DueDate, and $EndDate, date information will automatically export in one of four different way—either as a closed date span, an open date span, a single date, or in a “primary [secondary]” format:

1. To export a closed date span, assign $StartDate and $EndDate and keep $DueDate empty.
2. To export an open date span, assign $StartDate or $EndDate and keep $DueDate empty.
3. To export a single date, assign $DueDate. Even if $StartDate and $EndDate have values, only the single value of $DueDate will be exported. This is great for carrying a (e.g., biographical) date span in the background for extraction in other places.
4. To export a primary date followed by a secondary date in brackets, assign $DueDate and $EndDate.

This feature holds for SmartPanels, Wells, SmartButtons, and Undertitles.

Examples

$StartDate = 1724; $DueDate =; $EndDate;

$StartDate =; $DueDate = 1781; $EndDate;

$StartDate =; $DueDate =; $EndDate = 1804;

$StartDate = 1724; $DueDate=; $EndDate = 1804;

$StartDate =; $DueDate = 1781; $EndDate = 1787;

$StartDate =1724; $DueDate = 1781; $EndDate = 1804;