Fuzzy grouping matching nulls to empty strings/spaces

Will the fuzzy grouping task match a null value to an empty string (or spaces)? I've got 5 columns I'm matching on, and one of them may be null for certain rows but an empty string for others. Given the 4 other columns may match, will this difference stop similar columns being grouped together?

(Someone's modified my grouped data since it was deduped, which takes a while, and I'm hoping for a quick answer on this).

Thanks in advance.

Ben

Not sure, but building a quick package and adding a data viewer should give you the answer.

I would hope that a NULL wouldn't match to spaces...

Couldn't you run an update query to "fix" the data?|||

Computer says "no"

<cough>

No duplicate matching between null and empty string/spaces, as you suspected. Thanks for the idea of the quick test - seems obvious in retrospect, if only it had been beforehand Unfortunately I can't fix the data, other than rerunning the grouping task, but good to know the source of the problem - thanks Phil!

functions DIFFERENCE() and SOUNDEX()

Hi!
Is there any other function that can compares two strings ? I'm using the
functions DIFFERENCE() and SOUNDEX(), but they don't consider vowels, "y" and
"h", and I need something that compares everything!
thanks
--
Message posted via http://www.sqlmonster.comOn Fri, 09 Sep 2005 15:37:43 GMT, Amaury Coria via SQLMonster.com wrote:
>Hi!
>Is there any other function that can compares two strings ? I'm using the
>functions DIFFERENCE() and SOUNDEX(), but they don't consider vowels, "y" and
>"h", and I need something that compares everything!
>thanks
Hi Amaury,
What exactly do you mean with "compares everything"? If you are looking
for completely equal strings, just use the '=' operator. The SOUNDEX and
DIFFERENCE functions are deliberately leaving out certain parts of the
string, since they are intended to find common misspelling of words or
names. And in case you and/or your users are not English, beware that
they are designed for English.
If you want to find ""almost equal" strings but are not satisfied with
the algorithm used in SOUNDEX and DIFFERENCE, you'll have to create your
own functions for it. I have no experience with this kind of string
handling, but I believe that several algorithms for this kind of task
are out there on the internet. Google is your friend!
Best, Hugo
--
(Remove _NO_ and _SPAM_ to get my e-mail address)|||There's an interesting article about alternative (better) soundex-like
schemes at http://www.avotaynu.com/soundex.html.
Paul Shapiro
"Amaury Coria via SQLMonster.com" <forum@.SQLMonster.com> wrote in message
news:541CE9D86DFA7@.SQLMonster.com...
> Is there any other function that can compares two strings ? I'm using the
> functions DIFFERENCE() and SOUNDEX(), but they don't consider vowels, "y"
> and
> "h", and I need something that compares everything!

functions DIFFERENCE() and SOUNDEX()

Hi!
Is there any other function that can compares two strings ? I'm using the
functions DIFFERENCE() and SOUNDEX(), but they don't consider vowels, "y" an
d
"h", and I need something that compares everything!
thanks
Message posted via http://www.droptable.comOn Fri, 09 Sep 2005 15:37:43 GMT, Amaury Coria via droptable.com wrote:

>Hi!
>Is there any other function that can compares two strings ? I'm using the
>functions DIFFERENCE() and SOUNDEX(), but they don't consider vowels, "y" a
nd
>"h", and I need something that compares everything!
>thanks
Hi Amaury,
What exactly do you mean with "compares everything"? If you are looking
for completely equal strings, just use the '=' operator. The SOUNDEX and
DIFFERENCE functions are deliberately leaving out certain parts of the
string, since they are intended to find common misspelling of words or
names. And in case you and/or your users are not English, beware that
they are designed for English.
If you want to find ""almost equal" strings but are not satisfied with
the algorithm used in SOUNDEX and DIFFERENCE, you'll have to create your
own functions for it. I have no experience with this kind of string
handling, but I believe that several algorithms for this kind of task
are out there on the internet. Google is your friend!
Best, Hugo
--
(Remove _NO_ and _SPAM_ to get my e-mail address)|||There's an interesting article about alternative (better) soundex-like
schemes at http://www.avotaynu.com/soundex.html.
Paul Shapiro
"Amaury Coria via droptable.com" <forum@.droptable.com> wrote in message
news:541CE9D86DFA7@.droptable.com...
> Is there any other function that can compares two strings ? I'm using the
> functions DIFFERENCE() and SOUNDEX(), but they don't consider vowels, "y"
> and
> "h", and I need something that compares everything!

functions DIFFERENCE() and SOUNDEX()

Hi!
Is there any other function that can compares two strings ? I'm using the
functions DIFFERENCE() and SOUNDEX(), but they don't consider vowels, "y" and
"h", and I need something that compares everything!
thanks
Message posted via http://www.droptable.com
On Fri, 09 Sep 2005 15:37:43 GMT, Amaury Coria via droptable.com wrote:

>Hi!
>Is there any other function that can compares two strings ? I'm using the
>functions DIFFERENCE() and SOUNDEX(), but they don't consider vowels, "y" and
>"h", and I need something that compares everything!
>thanks
Hi Amaury,
What exactly do you mean with "compares everything"? If you are looking
for completely equal strings, just use the '=' operator. The SOUNDEX and
DIFFERENCE functions are deliberately leaving out certain parts of the
string, since they are intended to find common misspelling of words or
names. And in case you and/or your users are not English, beware that
they are designed for English.
If you want to find ""almost equal" strings but are not satisfied with
the algorithm used in SOUNDEX and DIFFERENCE, you'll have to create your
own functions for it. I have no experience with this kind of string
handling, but I believe that several algorithms for this kind of task
are out there on the internet. Google is your friend!
Best, Hugo
(Remove _NO_ and _SPAM_ to get my e-mail address)
|||There's an interesting article about alternative (better) soundex-like
schemes at http://www.avotaynu.com/soundex.html.
Paul Shapiro
"Amaury Coria via droptable.com" <forum@.droptable.com> wrote in message
news:541CE9D86DFA7@.droptable.com...
> Is there any other function that can compares two strings ? I'm using the
> functions DIFFERENCE() and SOUNDEX(), but they don't consider vowels, "y"
> and
> "h", and I need something that compares everything!