The following table lists and describes the Configuration Editor fields used to define the comparison functions. It also lists the corresponding column in the match configuration file if you want to modify the file directly.
Configuration Editor Field |
Match Configuration File Element and Column Number |
Description |
---|---|---|
match-type (column 1) |
A value that indicates to the Master Index Match Engine how each field should be weighted. Each field included in the match string (the MatchingConfig section of mefa.xml) must have a match type corresponding to a match type defined in this file. |
|
size (column 2) |
The number of characters on which matching is performed, beginning with the first character. For example, to match on only the first four characters in a 10-digit field, the value of this column should be “4”. |
|
null-field (column 3) |
An index that specifies how to calculate the total weight for null fields or fields that only contain spaces. You can specify any of the following values. The Configuration Editor value is given first, followed by the match configuration file value in parenthesis.
In the above descriptions, the agreement and disagreement weights are either specified in this file or calculated using a logarithmic formula based on the m and u-probabilities (depending on the probability type). |
|
function (column 4) |
The type of comparison to perform when weighting the field. For information about the available comparison functions, see Master Index Match Engine Comparison Functions, in Understanding the Master Index Match Engine . |
|
agreement-weight (column 7) |
The matching weight to be assigned to a field given that the fields match between two records; that is, the maximum match weight for a field. This number can be between 0 and 100 and can have up to 16 decimal points. Only set this value if the Probability Type is set to use agreement and disagreement weights. |
|
disagreement-weight (column 8) |
The matching weight to be assigned to a field given that the fields do not match between two records; that is, the minimum match weight for a field. This number can be between 0 and -100 and can have up to 16 decimal points. Only set this value if the Probability Type is set to use agreement and disagreement weights. |
|
m-prob (column 5) |
The initial probability that the specified field in two records will match if the records match. The probability is a double value between 0 and 1, and can have up to 16 decimal points. Only set this value if the Probability Type is set to use probabilities. |
|
u-prob (column 6) |
The initial probability that the specified field in two records will match if the records do not match. The probability is a double value between 0 and 1, and can have up to 16 decimal points. Only set this value if the Probability Type is set to use probabilities. |
|
parameters (column 9) |
Parameters correspond to the comparison function specified in the Function field or column. Some comparison functions do not take any parameters and some take multiple parameters. For information about which functions take parameters and the parameters they take, see Master Index Match Engine Comparison Functions, in Understanding the Master Index Match Engine . |