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44 lines
1.6 KiB
TeX
44 lines
1.6 KiB
TeX
\section{\module{soundex} ---
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None}
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\declaremodule{builtin}{soundex}
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\modulesynopsis{None}
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The soundex algorithm takes an English word, and returns an
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easily-computed hash of it; this hash is intended to be the same for
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words that sound alike. This module provides an interface to the
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soundex algorithm.
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Note that the soundex algorithm is quite simple-minded, and isn't
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perfect by any measure. Its main purpose is to help looking up names
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in databases, when the name may be misspelled --- soundex hashes common
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misspellings together.
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\begin{funcdesc}{get_soundex}{string}
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Return the soundex hash value for a word; it will always be a
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6-character string. \var{string} must contain the word to be hashed,
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with no leading whitespace; the case of the word is ignored. (Note
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that the original algorithm produces a 4-character result.)
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\end{funcdesc}
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\begin{funcdesc}{sound_similar}{string1, string2}
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Compare the word in \var{string1} with the word in \var{string2}; this
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is equivalent to
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\code{get_soundex(\var{string1})} \code{==}
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\code{get_soundex(\var{string2})}.
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\end{funcdesc}
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\begin{seealso}
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\seetext{Donald E. Knuth, \emph{Sorting and Searching,} vol. 3 in
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``The Art of Computer Programming.'' Addison-Wesley Publishing
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Company: Reading, MA: 1973. pp.\ 391-392. Discusses the origin and
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usefulness of the algorithm, as well as the algorithm itself. Knuth
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gives his sources as \emph{U.S. Patents 1261167} (1918) and
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\emph{1435663} (1922), attributing the algorithm to Margaret K. Odell
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and Robert C. Russel. Additional references are provided.}
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\end{seealso}
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