Soundex test

gistfile1.txt

irb(main):016:0> Person.where("soundex(first_name) LIKE soundex(?)", "%trinitya%")
  Person Load (16.9ms)  SELECT `people`.* FROM `people` WHERE (soundex(first_name) LIKE soundex('%trinitya%'))
=> [#<Person id: 5, first_name: "Trinity", middle_name: nil, last_name: "Kuvalis", age: 22, email: "samir_wilderman@oconner.com", phone: "509-938-1572 x4260", address_1: "28790 Minerva Highway", address_2: nil, state: "PW", zip: 66274, contact_preference: nil, comments: "Natus porro aut itaque placeat sunt. Odio quas omni...", sources_of_interest: nil, other_sources_of_interest: nil, mailing_subscriptions: nil, lumbar_puncture: nil, study_partner: nil, study_partner_relationship: nil, adc_comments: "Sed porro blanditiis nemo. Sed facilis ea. Ea quis ...", created_at: "2012-05-04 19:53:05", updated_at: "2012-05-04 19:53:05", city: "East Clarissaburgh", active: true>]

irb(main):017:0> Person.where("soundex(first_name) LIKE soundex(?)", "%trinityaa%")
  Person Load (0.4ms)  SELECT `people`.* FROM `people` WHERE (soundex(first_name) LIKE soundex('%trinityaa%'))
=> [#<Person id: 5, first_name: "Trinity", middle_name: nil, last_name: "Kuvalis", age: 22, email: "samir_wilderman@oconner.com", phone: "509-938-1572 x4260", address_1: "28790 Minerva Highway", address_2: nil, state: "PW", zip: 66274, contact_preference: nil, comments: "Natus porro aut itaque placeat sunt. Odio quas omni...", sources_of_interest: nil, other_sources_of_interest: nil, mailing_subscriptions: nil, lumbar_puncture: nil, study_partner: nil, study_partner_relationship: nil, adc_comments: "Sed porro blanditiis nemo. Sed facilis ea. Ea quis ...", created_at: "2012-05-04 19:53:05", updated_at: "2012-05-04 19:53:05", city: "East Clarissaburgh", active: true>]

Here's a way to find "nearby" (in terms of word sound) records. It won't be perfect, but as above, you can luck out and get matches if the search term sounds close to a column value.

(In case above "trinityg" wouldn't match, but "trinitya" would)