MultiStringDistance (SecondString 0.1 API)

java.lang.Object
- com.wcohen.ss.MultiStringDistance

All Implemented Interfaces:

StringDistance

Direct Known Subclasses:

MultiStringAvgDistance
```
public abstract class MultiStringDistance
extends Object
implements StringDistance
```
Abstract class StringDistance defined over Strings that are broken into fields. This could actually be used in several ways:
1. To merge together scores from a single StringDistance d applied to several different subfields f1,.., fk of a string.
2. To merge together scores from a multiple StringDistances d1, ..., dk, where di applied to the corresponding fi.
3. With a little extra coding, this could also be used to merge together scores from a multiple StringDistances applied a single string. This would require using a new MultiStringWrapper constructor that makes k copies of a single string, rather than splitting a string into k disjoint parts.

Constructor Summary

Constructors
Constructor and Description

MultiStringDistance(String delim)

Constructors
Constructor and Description
`MultiStringDistance(String delim)`

Method Summary

All Methods Static Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods Concrete Methods
Modifier and Type	Method and Description
`protected MultiStringWrapper`	`asMultiStringWrapper(StringWrapper w)` Lazily prepare a string.
`protected static void`	`doMain(StringDistance d, String[] argv)` Default main routine for testing
`String`	`explainScore(String s, String t)` Scores are explained by converting Strings to StringWrappers with the prepare function.
`String`	`explainScore(StringWrapper s, StringWrapper t)` Explain how the distance was computed.
`protected abstract String`	`explainScoreCombination(double[] multiScore)` Explain how to combine the scores for each primitive distance function on each field.
`protected abstract StringDistance`	`getDistance(int i)` Get the distance used for the i-th pair of fields
`protected boolean`	`isLegalMultiStringWrapperSize(int n)` Check if a string has a valid number of fields.
`StringWrapper`	`prepare(String s)` Prepare a string.
`double`	`score(String s, String t)` Strings are scored by converting them to StringWrappers with the prepare function.
`double`	`score(StringWrapper s, StringWrapper t)` Find the distance between s and t.
`protected abstract double`	`scoreCombination(double[] multiScore)` Combine the scores for each primitive distance function on each field.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

- Constructor Detail
  - MultiStringDistance
```
public MultiStringDistance(String delim)
```
- Method Detail
  - score
```
public final double score(StringWrapper s,
                          StringWrapper t)
```
    Description copied from interface: StringDistance
    
    Find the distance between s and t. Larger values indicate more similar strings.
    
    Specified by:
    
    score in interface StringDistance
  - scoreCombination
```
protected abstract double scoreCombination(double[] multiScore)
```
    Combine the scores for each primitive distance function on each field.
  - explainScore
```
public final String explainScore(StringWrapper s,
                                 StringWrapper t)
```
    Description copied from interface: StringDistance
    
    Explain how the distance was computed.
    
    Specified by:
    
    explainScore in interface StringDistance
  - explainScoreCombination
```
protected abstract String explainScoreCombination(double[] multiScore)
```
    Explain how to combine the scores for each primitive distance function on each field.
  - score
```
public final double score(String s,
                          String t)
```
    Strings are scored by converting them to StringWrappers with the prepare function.
    
    Specified by:
    
    score in interface StringDistance
  - explainScore
```
public final String explainScore(String s,
                                 String t)
```
    Scores are explained by converting Strings to StringWrappers with the prepare function.
    
    Specified by:
    
    explainScore in interface StringDistance
  - prepare
```
public final StringWrapper prepare(String s)
```
    Prepare a string.
    
    Specified by:
    
    prepare in interface StringDistance
  - asMultiStringWrapper
```
protected MultiStringWrapper asMultiStringWrapper(StringWrapper w)
```
    Lazily prepare a string. Ie, if it's already a MultiStringWrapper, do nothing, otherwise use prepare() to convert to a MultiStringWrapper.
  - getDistance
```
protected abstract StringDistance getDistance(int i)
```
    Get the distance used for the i-th pair of fields
  - isLegalMultiStringWrapperSize
```
protected boolean isLegalMultiStringWrapperSize(int n)
```
    Check if a string has a valid number of fields. Override this method if some assumption is made about the number of fields.
  - doMain
```
protected static final void doMain(StringDistance d,
                                   String[] argv)
```
    Default main routine for testing

Class MultiStringDistance

Constructor Summary

Method Summary

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

Constructor Detail

MultiStringDistance

Method Detail

score

scoreCombination

explainScore

explainScoreCombination

score

explainScore

prepare

asMultiStringWrapper

getDistance

isLegalMultiStringWrapperSize

doMain