Re: [h5md-user] Units Module Question

[Peter Colberg]

Hi David,

On Fri, May 09, 2014 at 07:01:51PM +0000, Hart, David Blaine wrote:
> I have a question on the Units module, specifically, the unit
> string. The specification says, "The unit string consists of a
> sequence of unit factors separated by a space. A unit factor is
> either a number (an integer or a decimal fraction) or a unit symbol
> optionally followed by a non-zero, signed integer indicating the
> power to which this factor is raised. Each unit symbol may occur
> only once. There may also be at most one numeric factor, which must
> be the first one."

I believe the last sentence says that there may be at most one leading
“unit factor that is a number”. (But I did not compose that sentence;
it would be good if Felix or Pierre could confirm that interpretation.)

> This isn't a big deal, since the SI prefixes can usually make it so
> that the decimal only has to be shifted one or two places in the
> numeric factor, but I thought I'd mention it.

Would the sentence be unambiguous if it were reworded as follows?

“There may be at most one numeric unit factor, which must be the first one.”

Regards,
Peter