Re: bin/42940: units(1) parsing glitch

["Martin S. Weber" <Ephaeton%gmx.net@localhost>]

The following reply was made to PR bin/42940; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: "Martin S. Weber" <Ephaeton%gmx.net@localhost>
To: gnats-bugs%NetBSD.org@localhost
Cc: 
Subject: Re: bin/42940: units(1) parsing glitch
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:14:09 -0500

 On Wed, Mar 10, 2010 at 12:20:05PM +0000, Robert Elz wrote:
 >  (...)
 >    |  /usr/share/misc/units.lib doesn't define "h" as a synonym for "hour".
 >  
 >  No, nor should it, 'h' is only used for hour in a very few restricted
 >  usages.
 >  
 
 Now that's an interesting statement. The BIPM defines the hour as one
 of the few units outside of the SI. Its well-defined symbol is "h".
 Cf. http://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/SP811/sec05.html [SP811 is the en-US
 "translation" of the relevant BIPM document. If you don't believe the
 US pagans, try http://www.bipm.org/en/si/si_brochure/chapter4/table6.html ].
 
 > (...)
 >  Just leave units alone in this case, nothing needs fixing except the
 >  usage expectation.   
 
 Well, usage of well-defined (by BIPM via SI) symbols should definitely
 be supported.
 
 >  (...)
 >  That's good enough - don't make it start giving out incorrect answers
 >  because it has started to guess what you might have meant.
 
 SI has specific rules about prefixes in combination with unit symbols.
 'h' never will mean 'hecto' by itself. The right answer must be 'hour',
 see above.
 
 Regards,
 
 -Martin