下面是HSQLDB的SQL实现:

CREATE FUNCTION dist_to_segment(px double, py double, vx double, vy double, wx double, wy double)
  RETURNS double
BEGIN atomic
   declare l2 double;
   declare t double;
   declare nx double;
   declare ny double;
   set l2 =(vx - wx)*(vx - wx) + (vy - wy)*(vy - wy);
   IF l2 = 0 THEN
     RETURN sqrt((vx - px)*(vx - px) + (vy - py)*(vy - py));
   ELSE
     set t = ((px - vx) * (wx - vx) + (py - vy) * (wy - vy)) / l2;
     set t = GREATEST(0, LEAST(1, t));
     set nx=vx + t * (wx - vx);
     set ny=vy + t * (wy - vy);
     RETURN sqrt((nx - px)*(nx - px) + (ny - py)*(ny - py));
   END IF;
END;

Postgres的实现:

CREATE FUNCTION dist_to_segment(px numeric, py numeric, vx numeric, vy numeric, wx numeric, wy numeric)
  RETURNS numeric
AS $$
   declare l2 numeric;
   declare t numeric;
   declare nx numeric;
   declare ny numeric;
BEGIN 
   l2 := (vx - wx)*(vx - wx) + (vy - wy)*(vy - wy);
   IF l2 = 0 THEN
     RETURN sqrt((vx - px)*(vx - px) + (vy - py)*(vy - py));
   ELSE
     t := ((px - vx) * (wx - vx) + (py - vy) * (wy - vy)) / l2;
     t := GREATEST(0, LEAST(1, t));
     nx := vx + t * (wx - vx);
     ny := vy + t * (wy - vy);
     RETURN sqrt((nx - px)*(nx - px) + (ny - py)*(ny - py));
   END IF;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;

在f#中，点c到a和b之间的线段的距离为:

let pointToLineSegmentDistance (a: Vector, b: Vector) (c: Vector) =
  let d = b - a
  let s = d.Length
  let lambda = (c - a) * d / s
  let p = (lambda |> max 0.0 |> min s) * d / s
  (a + p - c).Length

向量d沿着线段从a指向b。d/s与c-a的点积给出了无限直线与点c之间最接近点的参数。使用min和max函数将该参数钳制到范围0..s，使该点位于a和b之间。最后，a+p-c的长度是c到线段上最近点的距离。

使用示例:

pointToLineSegmentDistance (Vector(0.0, 0.0), Vector(1.0, 0.0)) (Vector(-1.0, 1.0))

Matlab代码，内置“自检”，如果他们调用函数没有参数:

function r = distPointToLineSegment( xy0, xy1, xyP )
% r = distPointToLineSegment( xy0, xy1, xyP )

if( nargin < 3 )
    selfTest();
    r=0;
else
    vx = xy0(1)-xyP(1);
    vy = xy0(2)-xyP(2);
    ux = xy1(1)-xy0(1);
    uy = xy1(2)-xy0(2);
    lenSqr= (ux*ux+uy*uy);
    detP= -vx*ux + -vy*uy;

    if( detP < 0 )
        r = norm(xy0-xyP,2);
    elseif( detP > lenSqr )
        r = norm(xy1-xyP,2);
    else
        r = abs(ux*vy-uy*vx)/sqrt(lenSqr);
    end
end


    function selfTest()
        %#ok<*NASGU>
        disp(['invalid args, distPointToLineSegment running (recursive)  self-test...']);

        ptA = [1;1]; ptB = [-1;-1];
        ptC = [1/2;1/2];  % on the line
        ptD = [-2;-1.5];  % too far from line segment
        ptE = [1/2;0];    % should be same as perpendicular distance to line
        ptF = [1.5;1.5];      % along the A-B but outside of the segment

        distCtoAB = distPointToLineSegment(ptA,ptB,ptC)
        distDtoAB = distPointToLineSegment(ptA,ptB,ptD)
        distEtoAB = distPointToLineSegment(ptA,ptB,ptE)
        distFtoAB = distPointToLineSegment(ptA,ptB,ptF)
        figure(1); clf;
        circle = @(x, y, r, c) rectangle('Position', [x-r, y-r, 2*r, 2*r], ...
            'Curvature', [1 1], 'EdgeColor', c);
        plot([ptA(1) ptB(1)],[ptA(2) ptB(2)],'r-x'); hold on;
        plot(ptC(1),ptC(2),'b+'); circle(ptC(1),ptC(2), 0.5e-1, 'b');
        plot(ptD(1),ptD(2),'g+'); circle(ptD(1),ptD(2), distDtoAB, 'g');
        plot(ptE(1),ptE(2),'k+'); circle(ptE(1),ptE(2), distEtoAB, 'k');
        plot(ptF(1),ptF(2),'m+'); circle(ptF(1),ptF(2), distFtoAB, 'm');
        hold off;
        axis([-3 3 -3 3]); axis equal;
    end

end

一个2D和3D的解决方案

考虑基底的变化，使得线段变成(0,0,0)-(d, 0,0)和点(u, v, 0)。在这个平面上，最短的距离由

    u ≤ 0 -> d(A, C)
0 ≤ u ≤ d -> |v|
d ≤ u     -> d(B, C)

(到其中一个端点或到支撑线的距离，取决于到该线的投影。等距轨迹由两个半圆和两条线段组成。)

式中，d为AB线段的长度，u、v分别为AB/d (AB方向的单位矢量)与AC的标量积和外积的模量。

AB.AC ≤ 0             -> |AC|
    0 ≤ AB.AC ≤ AB²   -> |ABxAC|/|AB|
          AB² ≤ AB.AC -> |BC|

这是一个自成体系的Delphi / Pascal版本的函数，基于上面约书亚的答案。使用TPoint用于VCL屏幕图形，但应该易于根据需要进行调整。

function DistancePtToSegment( pt, pt1, pt2: TPoint): double;
var
   a, b, c, d: double;
   len_sq: double;
   param: double;
   xx, yy: double;
   dx, dy: double;
begin
   a := pt.x - pt1.x;
   b := pt.y - pt1.y;
   c := pt2.x - pt1.x;
   d := pt2.y - pt1.y;

   len_sq := (c * c) + (d * d);
   param := -1;

   if (len_sq <> 0) then
   begin
      param := ((a * c) + (b * d)) / len_sq;
   end;

   if param < 0 then
   begin
      xx := pt1.x;
      yy := pt1.y;
   end
   else if param > 1 then
   begin
      xx := pt2.x;
      yy := pt2.y;
   end
   else begin
      xx := pt1.x + param * c;
      yy := pt1.y + param * d;
   end;

   dx := pt.x - xx;
   dy := pt.y - yy;
   result := sqrt( (dx * dx) + (dy * dy))
end;

Grumdrig的c++ /JavaScript实现对我来说非常有用，所以我提供了我正在使用的Python直接端口。完整的代码在这里。

class Point(object):
  def __init__(self, x, y):
    self.x = float(x)
    self.y = float(y)

def square(x):
  return x * x

def distance_squared(v, w):
  return square(v.x - w.x) + square(v.y - w.y)

def distance_point_segment_squared(p, v, w):
  # Segment length squared, |w-v|^2
  d2 = distance_squared(v, w) 
  if d2 == 0: 
    # v == w, return distance to v
    return distance_squared(p, v)
  # Consider the line extending the segment, parameterized as v + t (w - v).
  # We find projection of point p onto the line.
  # It falls where t = [(p-v) . (w-v)] / |w-v|^2
  t = ((p.x - v.x) * (w.x - v.x) + (p.y - v.y) * (w.y - v.y)) / d2;
  if t < 0:
    # Beyond v end of the segment
    return distance_squared(p, v)
  elif t > 1.0:
    # Beyond w end of the segment
    return distance_squared(p, w)
  else:
    # Projection falls on the segment.
    proj = Point(v.x + t * (w.x - v.x), v.y + t * (w.y - v.y))
    # print proj.x, proj.y
    return distance_squared(p, proj)