MATCHING A FIRST COLLECTION OF STRINGS WITH A SECOND COLLECTION OF STRINGS

A method for matching first elements with second elements. Each of the first elements and second elements is a character string. The method comprises: calculating a first integer hash value for each of the first elements using a string hash function, wherein the first integer hash value is an output integer calculated from using each of the first elements as an input character string of the function; calculating second integer hash values for each of the second elements using the function; grouping each of the first elements into at least one group of a set of blocking groups using its first integer hash value; grouping each of the second elements into at the least one group of the set of blocking groups using its second integer hash value; and matching first elements with second elements within each group of the set of blocking groups using a string comparison function.