3.5 Viewex rules. Viewex is an algorithm that uses rules to derive a representation of the similarities in the visual impression of the name spelling when written by hand. It follows that there are different rule sets according to the family of writing styles of the original data. Hence, we have an Early Scandinavian Gothic (before 1850), Late Scandinavian Gothic (after 1800), Early German Gothic (before 1820), Late German Gothic (after 1790), Italic (after 1520), Early English Gothic (before 1800), Spencerian (after 1850), etc. Some of the elements that the rules reduce letters to are ascenders, descenders, minims, and altered minims. Sometimes the number of minims becomes ambiguous and it is better to generalize to the nearest odd (or even) number. The OLD and NEW elements in the Viewex rule consist of up to five characters. The WHERE element tells the environment constraint of the OLD sequence as a condition on its validity. The valid rule rewrites the OLD to the NEW. Usually capital (initial) letters are put in some general classes, such as, L S or A O in Spencerian.