Template:Convert/doc

Template convert calculates measurements from one unit (you can enter) to another one, and then presents the results. For example:
 * &rarr; 2 km
 * &rarr; 7 mi

Multiple formatting and calculation options are listed below.

Unit name or symbol (abbreviation): 1 pound or 1 lb?
The "abbreviation" is actually the "symbol". on will produce the symbol of the unit, instead of its name:
 * &rarr; 1 lb (To compare, default)
 * &rarr; 1 lb

Adjective: a 10-mile distance
Use on to produce the adjective form. The difference:
 * &rarr; 10 mi to go. -- to compare
 * &rarr; A 10 mi distance. -- Adjective

Rounding: 100 ft is 30 m or 30.5 m or 30.48 m?
In detail, it is 100 ft. In practical use, it is common to round the calculated metric number. With that, there are several possibilities.

Default rounding

 * By default, the conversion result will be rounded either to precision comparable to that of the input value (the number of digits after the decimal point—or the negative of the number of non-significant zeroes before the point—is increased by one if the conversion is a multiplication by a number between 0.02 and 0.2, remains the same if the factor is between 0.2 and 2, is decreased by 1 if it is between 2 and 20, and so on) or to two significant figures, whichever is more precise. An exception to this is rounding temperatures (see below).

Convert supports four types of rounding:

Round to a given precision: use precision
Specify the desired precision with the fourth unnamed parameter (or third unnamed parameter if the "convert to" parameter is omitted; or fifth unnamed parameter if a range is specified; or fourth unnamed parameter again if a range is specified and the "convert to" parameter is omitted; needs to be replaced with a "precision" named parameter). The conversion is rounded off to the nearest power of $1/undefined$ this number. For instance, if the result is 8621 and the round number is "-2", the result will be 8600. If the result is "234.0283043" and the round number is "0", the result will be 234.

Round to a given number of significant figures: use sigfig
To specify the output number to be with n significant figures use &lt;number>: Setting &lt;=0 is meaningless
 * To compare: 1200 ft &rarr; 1200 ft
 * 1200 ft &rarr; 1200 ft
 * 1200 ft &rarr; 1200 ft
 * 1200 ft &rarr; 1200 ft
 * 1200 ft &rarr; 1200 ft
 * 1200 ft &rarr; 1200 ft

Round to a multiple of 5: 15, 20, 25, ...
Using 5 rounds the outcome to a multiple of 5.
 * &rarr; 10 m
 * &rarr; 10 m

Similar: using 25 rounds the outcome to a multiple of 25.
 * &rarr; 10 m
 * &rarr; 10 m
 * To compare:  &rarr; 10 m

In a range, one can round each value individually to the default. Use each:
 * &rarr; 10 x 200 x 3000 m
 * &rarr; 10 x 200 x 3000 m

Round to a multiple of a given fraction: $2 1/4$ inch
Specify the desired denominator using &lt;some positive integer&gt;. (Denominator is the below-the-slash number, for example the 3 in $1/3$).
 * &rarr; 6 cm
 * &rarr; 6 cm
 * &rarr; 6 cm
 * To compare:  &rarr; 6 cm

Rounding temperatures &deg;C, &deg;F and K
In temperatures, the conversion will be rounded either to precision comparable to that of the input value or to that which would give three significant figures when expressed in kelvins, whichever is more precise.
 * &rarr; 10 C

Note
 * For a temperature difference, like to convert "A rise of 20 &deg;C", use 20 &tc.
 * &rarr; A rise of 20 C-change


 * To compare: "A temperature of 20 &deg;C" would yield: A temperature of 20 C

Into multiple units: 10 C
Separate the multiple output units by a space:
 * &rarr; 10 C
 * &rarr; 5 km

Range of values: 6 to 17 kg (13 to 37 lb)
Range indicators are entered as the second parameter (between the values). Range separators can be:


 * ,,   (ndash or hyphen),  ,  ,  ,  :
 * &rarr; 6 to 17 kg
 * &rarr; -10 to -20 C
 * &rarr; 6 to(-)
 * &rarr; 6 and 17 kg
 * &rarr; 60 ±
 * &rarr; 60 +/-

Multiple dimensions: 6 by 12 feet (1.8 by 3.7 m)

 * &rarr; 6 by
 * &rarr; 6 x

About feet, inch in ranges and multiples
While it is possible to enter feet, inch in a simple conversion, this is not possible for ranges:
 * &rarr; 1 ft (to compare)
 * &rarr; 1 ft

Spell out numbers: ten miles
To write a number in words, use in:
 * &rarr; 10 mi

To spell out both in and out values, use on:
 * &rarr; 10 mi

To make first letter a capital, use In, On
 * &rarr; 10 mi
 * &rarr; 10 mi

Remember that the spelling of the units (ft, m) is independently set by abbr. To the extreme:
 * &rarr; 10 mi

Spelling of units: UK metre or US meter?
Default spelling of units is en-UK. To show en-US spelling, use us:
 * &rarr; 1 m -- default
 * &rarr; 1 m

Extra words: 4 planted acres

 * Incomplete section
 * &rarr; 4 acre

Extra adjective words: A 10 ft corridor

 * &rarr; 10 ft

Using SI prefixes: gigameter (Gm), micrometer (μm)
Units can have SI prefixes like:  for giga-, mega-, kilo-, milli-, micro- multiplication factors.

To illustrate, these are trivial calculations (from meter to meter), showing the multiplication factor:
 * 12 Gm
 * 12 μm

The prefix can be added before an SI unit (here: unit  for meter):
 * 12 Gm
 * 12 Mm
 * 12 km
 * 12 mm
 * 12 μm
 * 12 um (letter "u" can be used for "μ" here)

Also, the prefix can be used in the output unit:
 * 1200 mi
 * 12 in



Fractions: 1/2 in
The number to convert can be expressed in fractions:
 * ) is accepted:
 * sign
 * and repeat it:
 * → 9 e6m

See also: val

Horizontal fraction bar: $1⁄2$ inch
Using a double slash returns a horizontal bar fraction:
 * → 1//2 in
 * → 2+1//2 in

Brackets and separators: 10 m [33 ft]
Punctuation that distinguishes the two measurements is set by disp.

Options are:  (the default),  ,  ,  ,  ,  :
 * &rarr; 10 m --  brackets are the default
 * &rarr; 10 m
 * &rarr; 10 m
 * &rarr; 10 m

Setting br will force a new line


 * &rarr; 10 m

Setting x extra parameter (separator) to add:


 * &rarr; 10 m -- (To show spaces, use &amp;nbsp;)

Unit only: 10 km
Setting unit or unit2 returns the unit only, input or output:
 * &rarr; 10 km
 * &rarr; 10 km
 * &rarr; 10 km

Converted measurement only: 10 km
Setting out returns the calculated measurement only:
 * &rarr; 10 km

Converted number only: 10 km
Setting number returns the converted number only:
 * &rarr; 10 km

Reorder (flipping) the two measurements: 1 mi
Setting flip will flip (swap) the two measurements:
 * &rarr; 1 mi (To compare, default)
 * &rarr; 1 mi

Table options
For the wikitable structure, there are two options: split over columns and make the table sortable.

Result split over columns in a table
Using {convert} in a table cell, with table splits the result over two columns:
 * &rarr; 10 m

tablecen does the same, and also centers the text:
 * &rarr; 20 m

The units are added as a column header:
 * {| class=wikitable

! style="width:10em;" | ! style="width:10em;" | m ! style="width:10em;" | ft
 * table
 * 10 m
 * tablecen
 * 20 m
 * &lt;other> (default)
 * 30 m
 * }
 * &lt;other> (default)
 * 30 m
 * }

Sorting

 * Use both table on to make a table column sortable. Only the first column will sort correct.


 * 10 m &rarr;  (don't let this frighten you) 

10 m


 * {| class="wikitable sortable"

! m ! ft
 * 10 m
 * 20 m
 * 30 m
 * }
 * 30 m
 * }
 * }

Deprecated options
Deprecated options should not be used. There is no guarantee that they will be supported in the future.


 * disp=slash, disp=s, disp=/ are deprecated. Use disp=or instead
 * disp=flip, adj=flip are deprecated. Use order=flip instead
 * disp=flip5 is deprecated. Use order=flip instead
 * disp=5, near=5, is deprecated. Use round=5 instead
 * abbr=comma is deprecated. Use adj=nocomma instead
 * disp=2 is deprecated. Use disp=output only instead
 * disp=u2 is deprecated. Use disp=unit2 instead

TemplateData
{ "description": "Converts measurements to other units.", "params": { "1": { "label": "value", "description": "the value to convert", "type": "number" }, "2": { "label": "from unit", "description": "", "type": "string/line" }, "3": { "label": "to units", "description": "", "type": "string/line" }, "4": { "label": "precision or suffix", "description": "significant digits after decimal dot or, if negative, exponent of ten", "type": "number" }, "lk": { "label": "link units", "description": "“on” all, “in” input, “out” output or “off” no units", "default": "off", "type": "string/line" }, "abbr": { "label": "abbreviation", "description": "show “on” unit symbols, “off” all unit names in full words, “in” abbreviated input units, “out” abbreviated output units or “values” no unit names", "type": "string/line" }, "sp": { "label": "spelling", "description": "“us” shows US spelling of unit names", "type": "string/line" }, "adj": { "label": "adjective", "description": "adjective form (singular unit name appended by hyphen) “on” or “mid” to put conversion at end", "type": "string/line" }, "disp": { "label": "conversion", "description": "show conversion … “or” after ‘or’, “b” in parentheses, “x” with custom prefix and suffix, “table”/“tablecen”, “output only” alone, “output number only” alone and without unit, “unit” not at all but input unit; if the value is a number it is used as precision", "default": "b", "type": "string/line" }, "order": { "label": "ordering", "description": "“flip” returns converted value first, input value second.", "type": "string/line" }, "sigfig": { "label": "significant figures", "description": "number that sets the number of significant figures", "type": "number" }, "round": { "label": "rounding output", "description": "“5” rounds the output number to nearest multiple of 5, “25” to nearest multiple of 25, “each” rounds each number in a range", "type": "string/line" }, "sortable": { "label": "sort key", "description": "“on” generates a hidden sort key", "type": "string/line" } }}

Glossary

 * to be added