Character matching in text processing

A system comprising:

• a database comprising Arabic text stored in shaped format, wherein shaped format comprises an initial position, a middle position, a final position, and an isolated position for respective Arabic characters;
• a user interface configured to receive an original structured query language (SQL) query comprising a function including a LIKE clause having a target text comprising Arabic characters in un-shaped format stored therein, wherein the target text comprises a first wildcard operator, a first character, a second character, and a third character;
• a repository containing language shaping rules;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to the user interface, the repository, and the database, and configured to:
• receive the original SQL query from the user interface;
• generate a plurality of respective generated LIKE clauses storing respective shaped target texts therein corresponding to respective shapings of the target text in un-shaped format, wherein the plurality of respective generated LIKE clauses comprises:
• a first query clause comprising the first character in the initial position, the second character in the middle position, and the third character in the final position;
• a second query clause comprising the first character in the middle position, the second character in the middle position, and the third character in the final position;
• and
• a third query clause comprising the first character in the isolated position, the second character in the isolated position, and the third character in the isolated position;
• create a modified SQL query based on the plurality of respective generated LIKE clauses;
• execute the modified SQL query on a database;
• and
• present, to the user interface, portions of the data in the database according to the modified SQL query.

A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium does not comprise a transitory signal per se, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

• receiving an original structured query language (SQL) query comprising a function and a LIKE clause containing an original target text including Arabic text in un-shaped format, wherein the LIKE clause is configured to match text from a database storing Arabic text in shaped format to the original target text, wherein shaped format comprises an initial position, a middle position, a final position, and an isolated position for respective Arabic characters, wherein the original target text comprises a first wildcard operator, a first character, a second character, and a third character;
• generating a plurality of respective shaped target texts based on the original target text and the first wildcard operator, wherein the plurality of respective shaped target texts comprises:
• a first query clause comprising the first character in the initial position, the second character in the middle position, and the third character in the final position;
• a second query clause comprising the first character in the middle position, the second character in the middle position, and the third character in the final position;
• and
• a third query clause comprising the first character in the isolated position, the second character in the isolated position, and the third character in the isolated position;
• combining the plurality of respective shaped target texts to create a modified SQL query;
• storing the modified SQL query in the computer readable storage medium;
• executing the modified SQL query on the database storing Arabic text in shaped format;
• and
• presenting, to a user interface, portions of the database matching the modified SQL query.