Fuzzy match with soundex and compged

[aaou]

Hi,

I have two datasets:

 ds1

Advisor

JP_Morgan

JP_Morgan_Chase___Co

JP_Morgan_Secs__Asia

JP_Morgan_Securities

Lehman_Brothers

Lehman_Brothers_Kuhn

Laidlaw___Co__UK__Lt

Laidlaw_Adams___Peck

Laidlaw_Ansbacher

Laidlaw_Equities_Inc

Macquarie_Capital__U

Macquarie_Capital_Ad

Macquarie_Capital_Gr

Macquarie_Capital_Pa

ds2

Advisor

JP_Morgan

Laidlaw

Macquarie_Capital

Lehman_Brothers

When I run the code below using soundex and compged ( I set a threshold level of 100 for the compged) I get the outcome given below the code: 

data advisors;
set ds1;
tmp1=soundex(advisor);
do i=1 to nobs;
set ds2(rename=(advisor=advisor2)) point=i nobs=nobs;
tmp2=soundex(advisor2);
dif=compged(tmp1,tmp2);
if dif<=100 then do;
possible_match='Yes';
drop i tmp1 tmp2;
output;
end;
end;
run;

Advisor	advisor2	dif	possible_match
JP_Morgan	JP_Morgan	0	Yes
Lehman_Brothers	Lehman_Brothers	0	Yes
Lehman_Brothers_Kuhn	Lehman_Brothers	70	Yes
Macquarie_Capital__U	Macquarie_Capital	0	Yes
Macquarie_Capital_Ad	Macquarie_Capital	50	Yes
Macquarie_Capital_Gr	Macquarie_Capital	100	Yes
Macquarie_Capital_Pa	Macquarie_Capital	50	Yes

However, say I want an output table which gives me all the 14 observations in ds1, gives 'yes' for possible match and the respective match from ds2 in the second column if the compegd is below the threshold and gives 'no' for possible match and a blank for the second column if the threshold is surpassed. 

Basically I want to know how each observation in ds1 fairs with the matching and not to lose the observations because there wasn't a close match. 

Thank you!

[PGStats]

Add a bit more code:

data advisors;
length possible_match $3;
set ds1;
tmp1=soundex(advisor);
possible_match='No';
do i=1 to nobs;
	set ds2(rename=(advisor=advisor2)) point=i nobs=nobs;
	tmp2=soundex(advisor2);
	dif=compged(tmp1,tmp2);
	if dif<=100 then do;
		possible_match='Yes';
		drop i tmp1 tmp2;
		output;
		end;
	end;
if possible_match='No' then do;
	call missing(advisor2);
	output;
	end;
run;

[aaou]

Thanks a lot!

I got a few questions:

 1) Suppose instead of returning blank values ( when the compegd score is greater than the threshold value) I want the original name in DS1 to appear instead of the blank value; how should the code be amended?

2) I noticed that when I change the threshold score from 100 to say 500, the compegd scores change completely....why is that?

3) what is the meaning of this part of the code

length possible_match $3;    

I'm new to coding so I truly appreciate your help! Thank you.

[PGStats]

1) Replace 

call missing(advisor2);

with

advisor2 = advisor; 

2) I don't know. You could submit this as a new question to the Forum.

3) Unless given explicitly, SAS determines the length of a character variable at the first assignment encountered during compilation. The length statement is to ensure that the variable possible_match isn't given a length of only two when the variable is first assigned the value "No".

[aaou]

Thank you.

Regarding your answer to questions (1); I thought that would work too, but when I do that the output I get generates blanks for the first column of advisors and the table gets messed up. I have attached a screenshot of the output. 

[PGStats]

Please post the new code.

[aaou]

data advisors;
length possible_match $3;
set ds1;
tmp1=soundex(advisor);
possible_match='No';
do i=1 to nobs;
	set ds2(rename=(advisor=advisor2)) point=i nobs=nobs;
	tmp2=soundex(advisor2);
	dif=compged(tmp1,tmp2);
	if dif<=100 then do;
		possible_match='Yes';
		drop i tmp1 tmp2;
		output;
		end;
	end;
if possible_match='No' then do;
	call missing(advisor);
	output;
	end;
run;

I also tried this as I wasn't quite sure:

data advisors;
length possible_match $3;
set ds1;
tmp1=soundex(advisor);
possible_match='No';
do i=1 to nobs;
	set ds2(rename=(advisor=advisor2)) point=i nobs=nobs;
	tmp2=soundex(advisor2);
	dif=compged(tmp1,tmp2);
	if dif<=100 then do;
		possible_match='Yes';
		drop i tmp1 tmp2;
		output;
		end;
	end;
if possible_match='No' then do;
	call missing(advisor2=advisor);
	output;
	end;
run;

Both didn't return what I wanted. 😞 

[PGStats]

My suggestion should have led to:

data advisors;
length possible_match $3;
set ds1;
tmp1 = soundex(advisor);
possible_match = 'No';
do i = 1 to nobs;
	set ds2(rename = (advisor = advisor2)) point = i nobs = nobs;
	tmp2 = soundex(advisor2);
	dif = compged(tmp1, tmp2);
	if dif <= 100 then do;
		possible_match = 'Yes';
		output;
		end;
	end;
if possible_match = 'No' then do;
	advisor2 = advisor;
	output;
	end;
drop i tmp1 tmp2;
run;