similarity-string v1.0.1

similarity-string

similarity-string compares strings focusing on common char sets.

npm install similarity-string --save

Implement it:

String.similarity = require("similarity-string");
let percent = String.similarity("xummy", "dummy");

Reason

I recently tested the Levenshtein distance for matching poblation names with a given value and I notice it wasn't enought.

The Levenshtein distance is a string metric for measuring the difference between two sequences (Wikipedia)

Comparing a value with a set of names the Levenshtein distance returned the same distance for multiple names. I got better results by comparing common char sequences:

xummy - dummy: 60.00% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░          ] (leven: 1)
dxmmy - dummy: 30.00% [░░░░░░░░                 ] (leven: 1)

Test

Clone the repository and run:

npm install
npm test

xummy - dummy: 60.00% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░          ] 
dxmmy - dummy: 30.00% [░░░░░░░░                 ] 
duxmy - dummy: 20.00% [░░░░░                    ] 
dumxy - dummy: 30.00% [░░░░░░░░                 ] 
dummx - dummy: 60.00% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░          ] 
xumming - dumming: 71.43% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░       ] 
dxmming - dumming: 47.62% [░░░░░░░░░░░░             ] 
duxming - dumming: 33.33% [░░░░░░░░                 ] 
dumxing - dumming: 28.57% [░░░░░░░                  ] 
dummxng - dumming: 33.33% [░░░░░░░░                 ] 
dummixg - dumming: 47.62% [░░░░░░░░░░░░             ] 
dumminx - dumming: 71.43% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░       ] 

Levenshtein comparision

xummy - dummy: 80.00% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░     ] 
dxmmy - dummy: 80.00% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░     ] 
duxmy - dummy: 80.00% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░     ] 
dumxy - dummy: 80.00% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░     ] 
dummx - dummy: 80.00% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░     ] 
xumming - dumming: 85.71% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░    ] 
dxmming - dumming: 85.71% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░    ] 
duxming - dumming: 85.71% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░    ] 
dumxing - dumming: 85.71% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░    ] 
dummxng - dumming: 85.71% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░    ] 
dummixg - dumming: 85.71% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░    ] 
dumminx - dumming: 85.71% [░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░    ]