Hoh boy!

I don't know of any other approach to the "brute force" that's already being developed...

Maybe time to refer the client to your new rate sheet:

EmployeeRate = $ ???
ConsultingRate = EmployeeRate * 3.5

Effort: EmployeeRate
Results: ConsultingRate
Magic: ConsultingRate * 10
Miracles: ConsultingRate * 100

-Bruce Allen


>>It sounds like using a commerical package to CAS-certify and standardize the address list would be the first step. Ask your client if they already have any CAS certification software. I'm not knowledgeable about the Canadian mail system, so "CAS" may be a U.S.-only standard, but there's likely something similar for Canada.
>>
>>-Bruce Allen
>
>problem is .... most of their customers are not located in Canada,US, or United Kingdom. .... thus standards are non-existent.
>as an example, the guy who made a data entry program for this company simply uses Address1,Address2,Address3,Address4, Address5. He did not even attempt to figure out where the city state and 'zip code' were. Every record is a different format. The data is a mess.
>
>>
>>
>>
>>>I have a mail order client attempting to discover who their best customers are.
>>>The problem is that many customers and 'list brokers' enter customer's address info in a different way.
>>>
>>>For example, Name : Tom Smith ;
>>>Address1 : ;
>>>Address2 : Unit 5 ;
>>>Address3: 39 Carlingview M4V2E1
>>>Zip Code ;
>>>Province : ON
>>>
>>>AND
>>>Name : Mr. Smith
>>>Address1 : 5-39-Carlingview
>>>Address2 : Ontario
>>>Address3 :
>>>Zip Code M4V 2E1
>>>Province :
>>>
>>>
>>>Now, to solve this kind of problem i have cooked up all kinds of parsing algorithms in VFP. And with effective use of indexes and so on I have managed to be able to perform a certain degree of "FUZZY GROUPING".
>>>
>>>However, the client now has in excess of 2 million records and this problem needs to be taken a little more seriously.
>>>
>>>Can SQL Server2000 match/group records that 'DO NOT QUIET MATCH' ?
>>>
>>>If it can what is the 'name' of the feature...
>>>
>>>Dave.

"Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them." - Albert Einstein

Bruce Allen
NTX Data