Roles are one of the most powerful tools available to users but extreme uses can be challenging to imagine and complex to design.

Here is an example that is at once simple and extraordinarily complex in that it not only involves multiple parties and multiple roles but also multiple names for each party, the use of which occurs only after the first use of a party’s name in any of the roles.

The real life use is in an estate law situation where there are three Roles (Executor, Guardian, Personal Representative), three parties (Andrew, Elizabeth, Charlie), who are to be referred to as (Andy, Betty, Charlie) in the second and all subsequent mentions of the person no matter if the secondary uses are in the same role or not.

The solution needs to be consistent no matter the number of roles nor the number of parties.

Rules:

1.  All first uses in the form will use the formal name, and
2. All second uses will use the alias, and
3. These rules will apply both within AND between roles, so that if Andrew is both the Executor (first role and first use) and the Guardian (second role and second use), Andy will be the name used for Guardian. But if Elizabeth is the Guardian, Elizabeth will be the name used. This rule will apply for any number of Roles and any number of Parties.
4. Pronouns need to relate to the person in the role.

The solution:

While solving the problem is simple and straightforward within a Role, it becomes complex when the rules need to be applied across Roles. The key is to know in advance the order in which the Roles will appear in the form. The program can be built to recognize first uses, and with that information can determine first uses versus second uses by the Roles selected in the Grid.

This example uses checkboxes and separate Role Labels for simplicity, but other arrangements will likely also work. Pronouns are included in the example as illustrative.

A working copy is included as an attachment to this article.

tags: role, multiple, complex, alias, multiple parties, multiple roles, multiple names, Andy, Betty, Charlie, pronouns, executor, guardian, personal representative