fstrcmp(3)

✨ fstrcmp — fuzzy comparison of two strings ✨

okay bestie, pull up a chair, because fstrcmp(3) is literally the moment. this is the <fstrcmp.h> girlie from the Library Functions Manual, and she is here to tell you how similar two strings are — not just "same or not same" like some basic function, but an actual ✨vibe score✨. 💅

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🦋 SYNOPSIS

#include <fstrcmp.h>
#define FSTRCMP_IDENTICAL
#define FSTRCMP_THRESHOLD
#define FSTRCMP_ERROR
double fstrcmp(const char *string1, const char *string2);

like. look at her. four defines and one function. minimalism, but make it iconic. 💖

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🌸 DESCRIPTION

The fstrcmp() function compares the two strings, string1 and string2.

that's it. that's the whole description. she's mysterious, she's concise, she contains multitudes. 🧚

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👑 RETURN VALUE

okay so this is the part you actually came for, so listen up fr fr.

fstrcmp returns a floating point value between 0.0 and FSTRCMP_IDENTICAL. let's break that down:

• 0.0 — the strings are utterly un-alike. like, not even a little bit. zero chemistry. the vibe check failed. 💀
• FSTRCMP_IDENTICAL — the strings are identical. twin flames. matching energy. slay. 🔥
• more than FSTRCMP_THRESHOLD — this value lies between 0.0 and FSTRCMP_IDENTICAL, and crossing it means most people would consider the strings "similar". bestie-certified close enough. 🫶

and then there's the sad path:

• FSTRCMP_ERROR — always negative, and it indicates a malloc(3) failure. 😭 not the memory allocation ghosting us again.

ngl the threshold thing is the whole personality of this function. it's not a yes/no, it's a how much, and that's highkey gorgeous.

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🌈 SEE ALSO

your girl has a whole friend group, and you should meet all of them:

• fmemcmp(3) — fuzzy comparison of two memory areas. same energy, but for raw memory. 🍓
• fstrcasecmp(3) — fuzzy comparison of two strings ignoring case. because HELLO and hello are obviously the same person. 💜
• fstrcmpi(3) — fuzzy comparison of two strings. yes, another one. the family is big and we love them all. ⭐
• strcmp(3) — compare two strings. the og. the strict one. no fuzzy feelings, just exact matching. iconic in her own rigid way. 💅

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💖 COPYRIGHT

okay so here's the receipts, and we always give credit in this house:

fstrcmp version 0.7 Copyright (C) 2009 Peter Miller Peter Miller <pmiller@opensource.org.au>

The comparison code is derived from the fuzzy comparison functions in GNU Gettext 0.17. The GNU Gettext comparison functions were, in turn, derived from GNU Diff 2.7.

Copyright (C) 1988-2009 Free Software Foundation

like, the lineage? the ancestry? this function has main character energy and a family tree. 🌈✨

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and that's the whole fstrcmp(3) page from the Library Functions Manual, bestie — fstrcmp version 0.7, Copyright (C) 2009 Peter Miller. now go forth and compare things fuzzily. periodt. 💅🎀🦋