Fuzzy Matching using the COMPGED Function
Paulette W. Staum · 2007
Matching data sources based on imprecise text identifiers is much easier if you use the COMPGED function. COMPGED computes a “generalized edit distance” that summarizes the degree of difference between two text strings. Several additional techniques can be helpful. CALL COMPCOST can adjust the weighting algorithm used by COMPGED. Removing commonplace words and adjusting for the effect of different text string lengths can improve results. Also, eliminating implausible potential matches can improve efficiency.