SIMILAR function [String]

Function

Returns an integer between 0 and 100 representing the similarity between two strings.

Syntax

SIMILAR ( string-expression1, string-expression2 )

Parameters

string-expression1 The first string to be compared.

string-expression2 The second string to be compared.

Example

The following statement returns the value 75:

SELECT SIMILAR( 'toast', 'coast' ) FROM iq_dummy

This signifies that the two values are 75% similar.

Usage

The function returns an integer between 0 and 100 representing the similarity between the two strings. The result can be interpreted as the percentage of characters matched between the two strings. A value of 100 indicates that the two strings are identical.

This function can be used to correct a list of names (such as customers). Some customers might have been added to the list more than once with slightly different names. Join the table to itself and produce a report of all similarities greater than 90 percent but less than 100 percent.

Standards and compatibility