Fuzzy Matching - new version plus explanation

[al_b_cnu]

It has been a while since I originally posted my Fuzzy matching UDF’s on the board, and several variants have appeared subsequently.

I thought it time to ‘put the record straight’ & post a definitive version which contains slightly more efficient code, and better matching algorithms, so here it is.

Firstly, I must state that the Fuzzy matching algorithms are very CPU hungry, and should be used sparingly. If for instance you require to lookup a match for a string which starts with, contains or ends with a specified value, this can be performed far more efficiently using the MATCH function:

Fuzzy Examples.xls
	A	B	C	D	E
1			Starts With	Ends	Contains
2			Bill	jelen	Bill
3	Mr Bill Jelen		4	3	3
4	Bill Jelen
5	Joe Bloggs
6	Fred Smith
MATCH Example

... Continued ...

 

[amyl]

Alan,
Is fuzzyvlookup only available with vba codes?
Cannot be done with formulas only?

 

[al_b_cnu]

Hi amyl, I'm afraid so, but suggest you firstly check out post #1 of this thread.

That said, implementing isnt as daunting as it may first appear

 

[amyl]

Haha, you may think so, but I am the type of person who needs someone to sit beside me and show me this this this, then I know what to do.
Like, with the VBA codes that i put in Microsoft Visual Basic, okay, the codes is in there now, so, what's next?

 

[al_b_cnu]

Treat it like VLookup (except theparameters are different.)

What is the layout in your s/sheet ?

 

[al_b_cnu]

Hi amyl, could you adapt this:
<b>Excel 2003</b><table cellpadding="2.5px" rules="all" style=";background-color: #FFFFFF;border: 1px solid;border-collapse: collapse; border-color: #A6AAB6"><colgroup><col width="25px" style="background-color: #E0E0F0" /><col /><col /><col /><col /></colgroup><thead><tr style=" background-color: #E0E0F0;text-align: center;color: #161120"><th></th><th>A</th><th>B</th><th>C</th><th>D</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">1</td><td style="font-weight: bold;;">Company</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style=";">Lookup Value</td><td style=";">Best Match Row</td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">2</td><td style=";">Bodgitt and Run</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style=";">Adam&Benett</td><td style="text-align: right;;">6</td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">3</td><td style=";">Alpha beta gamma</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">4</td><td style=";">delta epsilon </td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">5</td><td style=";">zeta theta</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">6</td><td style=";">Adam and Benett Enterprise</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr><tr ><td style="color: #161120;text-align: center;">7</td><td style=";">iota Kappa</td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td><td style="text-align: right;;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="width:3.6em;font-weight:bold;margin:0;padding:0.2em 0.6em 0.2em 0.5em;border: 1px solid #A6AAB6;border-top:none;text-align: center;background-color: #E0E0F0;color: #161120">Sheet1</p><br /><br /><table width="85%" cellpadding="2.5px" rules="all" style=";border: 2px solid black;border-collapse:collapse;padding: 0.4em;background-color: #FFFFFF" ><tr><td style="padding:6px" ><b>Worksheet Formulas</b><table cellpadding="2.5px" width="100%" rules="all" style="border: 1px solid;text-align:center;background-color: #FFFFFF;border-collapse: collapse; border-color: #A6AAB6"><thead><tr style=" background-color: #E0E0F0;color: #161120"><th width="10px">Cell</th><th style="text-align:left;padding-left:5px;">Formula</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th width="10px" style=" background-color: #E0E0F0;color: #161120">D2</th><td style="text-align:left">=FuzzyVLookup(<font color="Blue">C2,A:A,0,,,2</font>)</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></table><br />

Note that I have used algorithm 2 which may be the most appropriate for your requirements

 

[amyl]

I was using something like this
=vlookup("*"&Cell&"*",table array, column, argument)
didn't return me any results. Don't work for numbers I guess?
I posted a query on this with example js a few hours ago and I'm still awaiting for reply.

 

[al_b_cnu]

Hi,

So have you tried FuzzyVLookup as per the example posted earlier?

 

[amyl]

No Alan,
I hadn't put the VBA codes in. that is why it didn't work for me.
I have tried doing Alt+F11 and it gives me Microsoft Visual Basic.
On that top left screen, I click on the View Code button Book 1, Module 1 (Code) and I entered the codes. Then, what's next?

 

[amyl]

I saw what we have to do on Post #4,
didn't have to save, didn't have to drag, just paste the formula and we are set to go? Unfortunately, nothing happened!
ANd now, when i opened my VBA, it's all hanging, No codes, All blanks on my left window..

 

[al_b_cnu]

how is your worksheet laid out?
what formula have you entered?
If you've entered the FuzzyVLooklup formule, it should either
(a) return a value, or
(b) return an error such as '#NAME?' '#N/A' or '#VALUE'

Is it possible for you to post an sample of your table and also your formula via ,e.g. HTMLMaker?