DIFFERENCE (Transact-SQL)
SQL Server 2005
Returns an integer value that indicates the difference between the SOUNDEX values of two character expressions.
Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions
- character_expression
-
Is an expression of type char or varchar. character_expression can also be of type text; however, only the first 8,000 bytes are significant.
In the first part of the following example, the SOUNDEX values of two very similar strings are compared, and DIFFERENCE returns a value of 4. In the second part of the following example, the SOUNDEX values for two very different strings are compared, and DIFFERENCE returns a value of 0.
USE AdventureWorks;
GO
-- Returns a DIFFERENCE value of 4, the least possible difference.
SELECT SOUNDEX('Green'), SOUNDEX('Greene'), DIFFERENCE('Green','Greene');
GO
-- Returns a DIFFERENCE value of 0, the highest possible difference.
SELECT SOUNDEX('Blotchet-Halls'), SOUNDEX('Greene'), DIFFERENCE('Blotchet-Halls', 'Greene');
GO
Here is the result set.
----- ----- -----------
G650 G650 4
(1 row(s) affected)
----- ----- -----------
B432 G650 0
(1 row(s) affected)
Reference
SOUNDEX (Transact-SQL)String Functions (Transact-SQL)
