Re: Measurements: Fraction, Decimals, or Both

["wondersofone -at- gmail -dot- com" <wondersofone -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Thanks for your validation! I will run with this.

On Sat, Oct 8, 2016 at 12:47 PM, Peter Neilson <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>
wrote:

> On Sat, 08 Oct 2016 18:19:36 -0400, wondersofone -at- gmail -dot- com <
> wondersofone -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
>
> So it may just be more efficient (and accurate) that I simply reflect the
>> measurement given to us by the manufacturer. So now I can focus on the
>> formatting issue.
>>
>
> Yes, because you are getting the information in various formats and
> precisions, you are constrained to keep those things exactly the same, as
> much as possible. The customer looking for a 1-7/8 inch item will probably
> not buy if it is presented as 1.875 inches or (worse) 1.9 inches. The
> former value is correct but not expected, and probably not trusted. The
> latter (rounded) is simply incorrect, and taints the entire document.
>
> There is a lot of "engineering get-it-done style" knowledge among the
> people who use a combination of US and SI measurements in their work. For
> example, 11 or 12 mm is somewhat close to 7/16 inch for some purposes. 3/4
> inch is very close to 19 mm. "Hand me a 19 mm wrench." "Sorry, don't have
> one. Here's a 3/4. It'll do."
>
> Threads on bolts, however, are totally incompatible between US (coarse or
> fine) and SI. Worse, some seem as if they are fitting if you get them
> wrong, until after several turns they jam.
>
> The manufacturer's presentation of physical values is "as expected" and
> should be retained. The hyphen-and-solidus format (1-7/8) that you expect
> to use is generally acceptable.
>
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