Rules for entering American units

Note: To get the same results as in these examples, set the length to Feet and inches, the format to Fraction or decimal and the precision to x/8.

1. Unit

• You can enter values with or without units.
  If entering the unit is mandatory or not possible, the input value is highlighted in red.
• You can add the unit to the value with or without a space in between.
• The unit applies only to the input value to the left unless you enter an integer followed by a fraction.
• You can also combine different units.
• If you do not add a unit, the program uses the current unit.
• If the unit is set to feet and inches, the program interprets values you enter without a unit as feet.
• An integer followed by a fraction without a unit is interpreted as inches by the program.

  Entry	Internal value in [mm]	Result
  2.54 cm	25.4	1"
  69"	1752.6	5' 9"
  1.5	457.2	1' 6"
  1 3/2	63.5	2 1/2"

2. Using dots

• When working with feet and inches or feet, you need to enter four integers (values for feet, inches, numerator and denominator of the fraction) separated by a [dot].
• When working with inches, you cannot enter values in feet. You need to enter three integers (values for inches, numerator and denominator of the fraction) separated by a [dot] (1 foot = 12 inches).
• Leave out nonexistent values for feet, inches or the numerator or enter “0” for those values.

  Entry for ' " or feet	Entry for inches	Result
  5.3..	5.3..	5' 3"
  .5.3.2	5.3.2	6 1/2"
  5.0.3.2	60.3.2	5' 1 1/2"
  5.1.3.2	61.3.2	5' 2 1/2"

3. Using space characters

• If the unit is set to feet and inches or feet and you enter two integers, the program interprets the first integer as the value in feet and the second integer as the value in inches. When working with inches, you need to add a unit to the value in feet or enter “0” and “1” for the numerator and denominator of the fraction.
• If the unit is set to feet and inches or feet and you enter three integers, the program interprets the first integer as the value in feet and the second and third integers as the numerator and denominator of the fraction.
• If the unit is set to inches and you enter three integers, the program interprets the first integer as the value in inches and the second and third integers as the numerator and denominator of the fraction. If you want the program to interpret the first integer as the value in feet, you need to enter a unit for this value or add “0” to the value in inches.
• If you enter four integers, the program interprets the first integer as the value in feet, the second integer as the value in inches and the third and fourth integers as the numerator and denominator of the fraction.

  Entry for ' " or feet	Entry for inches	Result
  5 3	5'3 or 5 3 0 1	5' 3"
  5 3/2	5 3/2 or 5 3 2	6 1/2"
  5 3 2	5' 3 2 or 5 0 3 2	5' 1 1/2"
  5 1 3 2	5 1 3 2	5' 2 1/2"

4. Operators

• You can use the following arithmetical operators: +, -, *, /, (), (()), e (= power of ten for floating point representation)
• You can add an operator to a value with or without a space in between.
• The program uses the "+" operator if you do not specify an operator at the beginning.
• The operator applies only to the input value to the right unless you enter an integer followed by a fraction.

  Entry	Values	Result
  -4+2"+1' - 12''+1	-4'+2"+1'-1'+1'	-2' 10"
  14'/2 - 6*10 "-8 1/4	+7'-5'-8"-(1/4)"	1' 3 3/4"
  -(1+2+3 '+(0,08e2)")	-1'-2'-3'-(0,08*100)"	-6' 8"

5. Miscellaneous

• You can use a dot or a comma for the decimal separator.
• The sequence in which you enter the values is irrelevant.

  Entry	Values	Result
  5'0,5" – 1.125	5'+(1/2)"-1'-(1/8)'	3' 11"
  -3"+6 + 0,381dm	-3"+6'+1 1/2"	5' 10 1/2"