[Dev] Units of measurement

[Henrik Frisk]

jb at integralive.org wrote:

> > Henrik Frisk <mail at henrikfrisk.com> wrote:
> >
> >> jb at integralive.org wrote:
> >>
> >> > 2. have the units table blank when the database is in its 'initial'
> >> state,
> >> > and add units as they are needed?
> >> >
> >> >     - the disadvantage of this is that to start with we have to enter
> >> the
> >> > unit details for every attribute that uses a previously undefined
> >> > unit. It also means that we could end up with the units 'Hertz', 'Hz',
> >> > 'Htz' etc. However, we could overcome this by having a set of 'core'
> >> > units that we (the Integra developers) agree on, and people have to
> >> > submit a request if they want a new (obscure) unit added, which we
> >> > then approve.
> >> >
> >> > I favour 2, what do you folks think?
> >>
> >> So do I. Eventually we could have a little Web2.0 magic with
> >> autocompletion in the Unit field. If a user insists on entering a unit
> >> which doesn't exist in the database maybe we should allow it without the
> >> extra request submission?
> >>
> > Hmmm, sorry, I replied too quickly on this. Forget what I said, I support
> > your suggestion above Jamie, whatever the implementation will be later
> > doesn't really matter at this stage...
> 
> Actually the 'Web2.0 magic' to the database UI was always in the back of
> my mind to add at some  later stage (Integra 2?).
> 
> The problem with allowing users/module developers as opposed to 'Integra
> core' developers (i.e. us) to arbitrarily add things like new units is
> that without some kind of approval process, it would be difficult to avoid
> silly duplications ('Hertz' *and* 'Hz') or erroneous units that don't make
> sense... I'm guessing as well that adding new units isn't something that's
> going to happen that often so a quick approval process might not be too
> cumbersome? OTOH, maybe I'm not giving our potential users enough credit
> for  being intelligent human beings ;-)
> 
No, I think you are right. I mean, I think our potential users are intelligent, even so, it's easy to add a unit, even by mistake, and it will be difficult to remove, not knowing what will break...

/h