Product: ImportOmatic
Description: This solution describes how to set up a dictionary using Regular Expressions
Environment: All
Version: All
Answer:
Dictionaries at the basic level do not employ “fuzzy logic,” or partial text string mapping. The values to be translated must be a complete match to the value entered, though you can have several possible values mapped to one replacement value, such as “Cap”, “Capt.”, and “Capt” all to be translated to “Captain.”
However, IOM does support the use of Regular Expressions, a system of advanced pattern matching which can be used to find and standardize partial text string values, such as changing ”St. Paul St.” to “St. Paul Street” or changing “1201” to “01201”. The use of Regular Expressions takes some technical expertise, and Omatic Software does not currently offer training or sample files in this area. There are, however, numerous articles available on the Internet for anyone interested in pursuing this method. Some users have also generously shared Regular Expressions that they have written in the ImportOmatic user forums. The return for implementing Regular Expressions in your imports can be significant, minimizing manual data manipulation and clean-up.
To use Regular Expressions in a dictionary, each Replacement Value must have the Use Regular Expression checkbox selected. (Note the tiny superscript “RegEx” for each value checked.) With this checkbox selected, enter your possible match values. We recommend that you always test your syntax to ensure you have the desired translation.
For a list of commonly used Regular Expression dictionaries, please see this solution.