Keep "Name" field in the same format in queries in NXT as it is in db view

I noticed the "Name" field in NXT's version of Query exports as Last Name, First Name for individuals instead of as First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name.

"Name" in NXT Query exports should export the same way as it does in database view. Using Query in web view now means there is no way to see someone's full name in the export file without doing a concatenate formula in Excel.

  • Megan Tope
  • Feb 13 2025
  • Reviewed: Voting Open
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  • Guest commented
    28 Aug 17:14

    @David Springer - Yes please! I finally tried web queries. I exported the results of the same query in both web view and database view. Very good matchup EXCEPT that the name, which we have always used First M. Last. In web is comes out Last, First. In order to accommodate this lack of choice, I will need to do manipulations / concatenations / etc. This should not be necessary. Please allow us to choose the name format. Please.

  • Jennifer Krueger commented
    14 Aug 14:49

    @David Springer - Why could there not be 2 options for the name field? One that's Name (First M. Last) and one that's Name (Last, First M.)?

    Changes like these are important for us to know, not just run into as we're trying to do our jobs.

  • Maya Rosman commented
    29 Jul 16:56

    @David Springer - just chiming in to confirm that yes, we would like a similar setting in webview to what we have in database view for the output for the Name field in query. I came to look for this idea today because I'm running our annual donor lists and our process uses both the standard report and a query generated from the standard report. We need the Name format in query to match my current database view settings for First Name Middle Initial Last Name. This is the format for the report and has been for over a decade. I cannot start producing a report that has Last Name, First Name Middle Initial. It will not match our past reports and will screw up our donor wall. Because this is only a once a year process, I hadn't thought about this use case, but it's really important to us.

    Without the ability to control the Name format output, I will have to do some pretty complex excel manipulation to get the format I need and this will add a great deal of time to an already time consuming process. Please allow us the same flexibility we depend on in database view.

  • Rachel Cavalier commented
    21 May 15:07

    @David Springer - Chiming in with everyone too! Ours is just First Name Last Name in database view and being able to have web view match will be super useful.

  • Guest commented
    15 May 17:30

    @David Springer Seconding everyone on this! I'm trying to use NXT for more weekly queries and reports and this is making my tribute report difficult. The Honor/Memorial Name field is exporting everyone with Last Name, First Name which means I have to go through and fix all of them in order for the Honor/Memorial name to show up correctly when I do my Word Merge to print the cards that I mail weekly.

  • Guillaume Bertrand commented
    30 Apr 12:59

    @David Springer That'd would be perfect for us too!

  • Danielle Keeney commented
    30 Apr 10:50

    Yes, please, for the same setting as in DB to allow the individual user to determine the output of the Name. Everyone uses that field differently, and the setting allows for that.

  • Deb Dressely commented
    29 Apr 21:42

    @David Springer, yes, I want the ability to have the "name" format for a query in NXT to follow the same format as "name" produces in database view. John B Smith vs Smith, John B - which doesn't read as well in a report for colleagues. Choosing the field Name should deliver the same results in either application view.

  • Admin
    David Springer commented
    29 Apr 20:56

    Thanks for the idea and the comments! To clarify for anyone reading this idea, database view has a user option to determine the name format. For web view Query, we used the value that most users had in that setting. I'm interpreting this idea to mean you'd want a similar user option for web view. If that's not the intent, please let me know.

  • Deb Dressely commented
    22 Apr 13:45

    Not using NXT query until I can get the data I want in the same format as I can choose from database view. If it isn't broke, don't break it!

  • Kevin Eccles commented
    01 Apr 19:50

    This is far from the only issue with inconsitencies between NXT and webview, but it's one of the annoying ones. Luckily we don't use BB exports natively in any of our outgoing data (I dump it all into SQL and do the analysis there before we share on a web platform), but it feels terrible to have these inconsistencies.

    While some changes to NXT-compatible queries are to be expected, they must be kept consistent between platforms, and loss of functionality should be zero.

  • Guillaume Bertrand commented
    12 Mar 12:41

    Please change it back, Blackbaud! This breaks queries that work perfectly fine in database view, especially anything related to the name criteria.