Here's an idea for a function in FileMaker: when you're importing names that might have slight spelling differences with the already existing ones, one might want to create a function that would compare an imported name and surname with all the available, correct ones. Then it would enter the closest match from the database at a cut off: i.e. 80% to 100% similar. 

 

Does that ring a bell to anyone?

 

Do you guys think that would be a worthwhile function?

Sure, the option for "fuzzy" matching would be nice, particularly if you could specify the degree of matching necessary.  Are you thinking of creating a custom function, or are you hoping that Filemaker will add this as a new feature? 

Look into Soundex and Hamming distance, and see if either of those might get close to what you're looking for.

Sure, the option for "fuzzy" matching would be nice, particularly if you could specify the degree of matching necessary.  Are you thinking of creating a custom function, or are you hoping that Filemaker will add this as a new feature? 

 

I hadn't though of it as a feature to add, but it sounds great if they could. Yeap, I was thinking of going about it on my own, with a function and I 've been told to look at the Levenshtein algorithm 

Look into Soundex and Hamming distance, and see if either of those might get close to what you're looking for.

Great thanks! I ll also be looking at Damerau-Levenshtein distance algo.