Soundex is a function that creates the Soundex equivalent of the source string AText, using the Soundex algorithm.

The parameter ALength is the number of characters to use when generating the Soundex string. This value is accepted by either direct entry into the function, or via a variable.

The function is designed to encode words or names, and not entire sentences - although the Soundex value produced may be quite similar (see ‘a sentence’ below).

Case does not matter.

The function SoundexInt is similar, but the result is an integer. It can be reviewed here at SoundexInt.

Declaration: Function Soundex(const AText : string; ALength : TSoundexLength) : string;

This code below illustrates that the algorithm is flawed - the Soundex of Pierce and Perez are exactly the same.

procedure ScriptEvent (var Value : variant);
var
sSound, sInput : string;
aLen : TSoundexLength;
begin
LogInfo('');
sInput := 'Pumpkin'; //Capuital 'P'
sSound := Soundex(sInput, 10);
LogInfo(sInput+' - '+sSound);
sSound := Soundex(sInput, 5);
LogInfo(sInput+' - '+sSound);
 
sInput := 'pumpkin'; //Lower case 'p'
sSound := Soundex(sInput, 10);
LogInfo(sInput+' - '+sSound);
sSound := Soundex(sInput, 5);
LogInfo(sInput+' - '+sSound);
 
sInput := 'Perez';
sSound := Soundex(sInput, 10);
LogInfo(sInput+' - '+sSound);
sSound := Soundex(sInput, 5);
LogInfo(sInput+' - '+sSound);
 
sInput := 'Pierce';
sSound := Soundex(sInput, 10);
LogInfo(sInput+' - '+sSound);
sSound := Soundex(sInput, 5);
LogInfo(sInput+' - '+sSound);
 
LogInfo('');
aLen := 8; //Entering aLength as a variable
sInput := 'Statelake';
sSound := Soundex(sInput, aLen);
LogInfo(sInput+' - '+sSound);
 
aLen := 20;
sInput := 'a sentence';
sSound := Soundex(sInput, aLen);
LogInfo(sInput+' - '+sSound);
 
LogInfo('');
aLen := 6;
sInput := 'a';
LogInfo(sInput+' - '+Soundex(sInput, aLen));
sInput := 'sentence';
LogInfo(sInput+' - '+Soundex(sInput, aLen));
LogInfo('');
 
end;