Searching For Matching Records|Other Matching Options

Aside from using different conversion and matching functions to identify matching records, there are several other ways to control how the search proceeds.


The 'Other Criteria' tab is home for these additional options, each described below :-


  • Minimum Members Of Any One Matching Group - By default, a matching group of records contains at least two records, but you can set this figure to a higher number.
    For example, setting it to three means that to be shown in the match results, a record must match at least two other records.


  • Maximum Members Of Any One Matching Group - By default, a matching group of records can contain any number of records, but you can define the maximum number.
    For example, setting it to three means that when a matching group has three records, the group is effectively 'capped'. No more matching records can accrue within it.


  • Create Overspill Matching Groups - By default, a matching group of records can contain any number of records, but if you define the maximum number and then when a matching group is capped, a new 'overspill' group is created with just the latest record within it. Subsequent matching records which cannot populate a capped group will be placed in an overspill group. If not selected, any further matching records, with no available matching group in which to reside, will be ignored and not shown on the match results screen.


  • Maximum Number Of Matching Groups - By default, there is no maximum number of matching groups, but if you set one, then when this number of matching groups is reached the search will terminate.


  • Maximum Number Of Matching Records - By default, there is no maximum number of matching records, but if you set one, then when this number of matching records is reached the search will terminate.


  • Merge Records - By default records are not merged, but if this option is selected, then an extra 'merged' or 'consolidated' record will be inserted at the end of each matching group. This merged record will contain data from one or more of the records in its matching group, depending on the merge rules you have set. When records are prepared for merging, both master and (all) slave records are deleted, being replaced as a group, by a single record containing the merged data fields. If this option is not selected, then results will only show master and slave records and there will be no opportunity to create merged records.


  • Merge Data in Matched Columns Only - By default, when records are merged, only the data in matched columns is merged. Data in unmatched columns is ignored, but defaults to the value held in the associated unmatched column in the master record.


  • Merge Data in All Columns Only - By default, when records are merged, only the data in matched columns is merged. If this option is selected, data in all columns is merged according to the merge rules.


  • Show Only Singleton Records - By default, matching groups of identical or similar records are shown. If this option is chosen then only unmatched, single records are shown. These records are singletons because they do not match up with any other record in the data set.