DQMATCH Function

char

is the value for which a match code is created, according to the specified match definition. The value can be the name of a character variable, a character value in quotation marks, or an expression that evaluates to a variable name or a quoted value.

match-definition

specifies the name of the match definition.

sensitivity

(optional) specifies an integer value that determines the amount of information in the returned match code. Valid values range from 50 to 95. The default value is 85. A higher sensitivity value includes more information in the match code. In general, higher sensitivity values result in a greater number of clusters, with fewer members per cluster, because matches require greater similarity between input values.

locale

(optional) specifies the name of the locale that contains the specified match definition. The value can be a name in quotation marks, the name of a variable whose value is a locale name, or an expression that evaluates to a variable name or to a quoted locale name.

The specified locale must be loaded into memory as part of the locale list.

Default:	the first locale in the locale list.
Restriction:	if no value is specified, the default locale is used.
See:	Load and Unload Locales.

The DQMATCH function internally parses the input character value and creates and returns a match code. The match code represents a condensed version of the character value. The amount of information in the match code is determined by the sensitivity level. For higher sensitivities, two values must be very similar to produce the same match codes. At lower sensitivities, two values produce the same match codes despite their dissimilarities.

The following example returns a match code that contains the maximum amount of information about the input value:

mcName=dqMatch('Dr. Jim Goodnight', 'NAME', 95, 'ENUSA');

• Create Match Codes.

• The DQMATCH Procedure.

Copyright © 2009 by SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA. All rights reserved.