Standardize Company Name for Searching

gistfile1.rb

def standardize(query)
  query.upcase! # IbM => IBM
  query.gsub!(/(\A|(?<=\s))(\w)\s&\s(\w)(\z|(?=\s))/,"\\2&\\3") # A & P => A&P
  query.gsub!(/((\A|(?<=[\s\.]))\w(\z|[\s\.]+))+/, query.scan(/((\A|(?<=[\s\.]))(\w)(\z|[\s\.]+))/).collect do |match|
    match[2]
  end.join + " ") # I.B.M. or I. B. M.  => IBM
  query.gsub!(/\s+/," ") # MY  FIRST  TRUCKING  CO => MY FIRST TRUCKING CO
  query.gsub!("'","") # AL'S TOY BARN => ALS TOY BARN
  query.strip! # "    IBM    " => IBM
  query
end