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SoundexSimple ( text )

Create Soundex code

  Average rating: 4.1 (39 votes) Log in to vote

ursus - Show more from this author leosoft

  Function definition: (Copy & paste into FileMaker's Edit Custom Function window)

Let ( [First = Left ( text ; 1 ) ; RemovedLetters = Substitute ( Lower ( Right ( text ; Length ( text ) - 1 ) ) ; [ "a" ; " " ] ; [ "e" ; " " ] ; [ "h" ; " " ] ; [ "ij" ; " " ] ; [ "i" ; " " ] ; [ "o" ; " "] ; [ "u" ; " " ] ; ["w" ; "" ] ; [ "y" ;" " ] ) ; RemovedDoubles = Substitute ( RemovedLetters ; [ "bb" ; "b" ] ; [ "cc" ; "c" ] ; [ "dd" ; "d" ] ; [ "ff" ; "f" ] ; [ "gg" ; "g" ] ; [ "hh" ; "h" ] ; [ "jj" ; "j" ] ; [ "kk" ; "k" ] ; [ "ll" ; "l" ] ; [ "mm" ; "m" ] ; [ "nn" ; "n" ] ; [ "pp" ; "p" ] ; [ "qq" ; "q" ] ; [ "rr" ; "r" ] ; [ "ss" ; "s" ] ; [ "tt" ; "t" ] ; [ "vv" ; "v" ] ; [ "ww" ; "w" ] ; [ "xx" ; "x" ] ; [ "zz" ; "z" ] ) ; SubstituteOnes = Substitute ( RemovedDoubles ; [ "bp" ; "b" ] ; [ "bv" ; "b" ] ; [ "bf" ; "b" ] ; [ "pb" ; "p" ] ; [ "pv" ; "p" ] ; [ "pf" ; "p" ] ; [ "vb" ; "v" ] ; [ "vp" ; "v" ] ; [ "vf" ; "v" ] ; [ "fb" ; "f" ] ; [ "fp" ; "f" ] ; [ "fv" ; "f" ] ) ; SubstituteTwos = Substitute ( SubstituteOnes ; [ "cs" ; "c" ] ; [ "ck" ; "c" ] ; [ "cg" ; "c" ] ; [ "cj" ; "c" ] ; [ "cq" ; "c" ] ; [ "cx" ; "c" ] ; [ "cz" ; "c" ] ; [ "sc" ; "s" ] ; [ "sk" ; "s" ] ; [ "sg" ; "s" ] ; [ "sj" ; "s" ] ; [ "sq" ; "s" ] ; [ "sx" ; "s" ] ; [ "sz" ; "s" ] ; [ "kc" ; "k" ] ; [ "ks" ; "k" ] ; [ "kg" ; "k" ] ; [ "kj" ; "k" ] ; [ "kq" ; "k" ] ; [ "kx" ; "k" ] ; [ "kz" ; "k" ] ; [ "gc" ; "g" ] ; [ "gs" ; "g" ] ; [ "gk" ; "g" ] ; [ "gj" ; "g" ] ; [ "gq" ; "g" ] ; [ "gx" ; "g" ] ; [ "gz" ; "g" ] ; [ "jc" ; "j" ] ; [ "js" ; "j" ] ; [ "jk" ; "j" ] ; [ "jg" ; "j" ] ; [ "jq" ; "j" ] ; [ "jx" ; "j" ] ; [ "jz" ; "j" ] ; [ "qc" ; "q" ] ; [ "qs" ; "q" ] ; [ "qk" ; "q" ] ; [ "qg" ; "q" ] ; [ "qj" ; "q" ] ; [ "qx" ; "q" ] ; [ "qz" ; "q" ] ; [ "xc" ; "x" ] ; [ "xs" ; "x" ] ; [ "xk" ; "x" ] ; [ "xg" ; "x" ] ; [ "xj" ; "x" ] ; [ "xq" ; "x" ] ; [ "xz" ; "x" ] ; [ "zc" ; "z" ] ; [ "zs" ; "z" ] ; [ "zk" ; "z" ] ; [ "zg" ; "z" ] ; [ "zj" ; "z" ] ; [ "zq" ; "z" ] ; [ "zx" ; "z" ] ) ; SubstituteThrees= Substitute ( SubstituteTwos ; [ "dt" ; "d" ] ; [ "td" ; "t" ] ) ; SubstituteFives = Substitute ( SubstituteThrees ; [ "mn" ; "m" ] ; [ "nm" ; "n" ] ) ; Soundexing = Substitute ( SubstituteFives ; [ "b" ; "1" ] ; [ "p" ; "1" ] ; [ "f" ; "1" ] ; [ "v" ; "1" ] ; [ "c" ; "2" ] ; [ "s" ; "2" ] ; [ "k" ; "2" ] ; [ "g" ; "2" ] ; [ "j" ; "2" ] ; [ "q" ; "2" ] ; [ "x" ; "2" ] ; [ "z" ; "2" ] ; [ "d" ; "3" ] ; [ "t" ; "3" ] ; [ "l" ; "4" ] ; [ "m" ; "5" ] ; [ "n" ; "5" ] ; [ "r" ; "6" ] ) ; Intermediate = Substitute ( soundexing ; " " ; "" ) ; Final = Case ( Length ( Intermediate ) = 0 ; Intermediate & "000" ; Length ( Intermediate ) = 1 ; Intermediate & "00" ; Length ( Intermediate ) = 2 ; Intermediate & "0" ; Left ( Intermediate ; 3 ) ) ] ; First & Final ) Click to copy

With genealogy there are a couple systems to quickly compare two names. Here is the algorithm for the SimpleSoundex. This is the more common one.

 

Comments

		tom, ShiftPoint Apr 4, 2012
I tested this function, and it works well. I note that the output seems to be limited to a string of 4 characters - 1 Letter plus 3 digits. But a code of that length does not distinguish between certain names, eg: Manfred = M516, and Manfredjen = M516 and Manfredjensendon = M516. Is this a limitation of the algorithm or this particular implementation? Thanks, Tom

		ursus, NL Apr 5, 2012
Soundex is a phonetic algorithm for indexing names by sound, as pronounced in English. The three names mentioned are sounding somewhat the same, thus generate the same soundex. Try googling the word for more background.

		tom, ShiftPoint Apr 7, 2012
Thanks for the tip. I suppose I could have googled that myself & figured it out. The wikipedia ARTIcle also mentioned the Metaphone algorithm. It seems more suitable to my needs. There is an FMP custom function implementing it, also available on this website.

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