On Tue, Mar 23, 2004 at 08:06:44PM -0800, wikien-l-request(a)Wikipedia.org wrote:
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Why not use a conversion syntax that allows a question
mark for one of the values, which then gets converted
and replaced in the actual markup code. The editor
could then correct the converted value for the
context.
For example, {{num:mi:1000:km:1600}} would show "1000
miles" (or whatever) for a US user, and would show
1600 km for everyone else.
If the editor entered {{num:mi:1000:km:?}}, then it
would be converted in the markup text as
{{num:mi:1000:km:1609}}. The editor could then change
that to read as the first example above, if desired.
Similarly, the editor could express the value in km
and leave the mi as a question mark...
This would allow a preference of either unit, or both.
By the way, I'm not at all stuck on this syntax -- I
haven't given those details much thought. It the
concept that I want to contribute.
If we're going to be pedantic about this, I'd suggest
a couple more features, listed in order of priority:
1) The *first* figure to appear in the notation should always be
the "source" figure, so when editing you know which one has
been rounded for display.
2) Should you be able to explicitly indicate the number of significant
digits in a measurement?
3) Ideally, you'd like to be able to mouse-over such figures in the
displayed article, and get the metric and imperial equivalents in a
pop-up box or something, as well as an indication of which is the source
figure.
4) Would it be going over the top to (optionally) be able to specify a
separate "source figure" (of higher precision than that desirable for
display) that is separate from the displayed figure in that unit system?
So you could record a source figure of 84.52 km/h (which appears in the
mouse-over box) but is displayed in the text as 85 km/h or 52 mph?
Is this all getting too complicated?
--
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Robert Merkel
robert.merkel(a)benambra.org
http://benambra.org
She's leaving the country...she doesn't speak English...I insulted her
friend's breasts...and she thinks I collect women's ears in a bucket.
-- Jeff Murdock (Richard Coyle), "Coupling"
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