Re: Trivial question: how to avoid confusing sec, min, hour and day in a program?

[Shark8 <onewingedshark@gmail.com>]

On Monday, September 6, 2021 at 1:22:03 AM UTC-6, ldries46 wrote:
> It would be a good idea if a package was developed that can solve all 
> these problems for instance by doing the calculations in one of the 
> possible dimensioning systems automagically presenting the results in 
> the dimension you choose.
There's this package[-set] -- http://archive.adaic.com/tools/CKWG/Dimension/SI.html
which is really pretty nice, and addresses the concern.

> I have already been thinking how but the problem are mostly in the  strings
Strings are terrible, avoid thinking in strings; be about the data first and foremost.
Strings should, inasmuch as possible, be used only in your UI; e.g. given a MVC structure only the VIEW should deal with Strings.

> I think that the potential of Ada of being independent of an operating 
> system can be extended that way to independent of the dimensioning system.
Possibly, the problem is addressed interestingly in VHDL via "physical units" where you can define a type and then use units with a conversion factor.
Example:

Type Avoirdupois_Weight is range 0 to 1E9 units
   Grain;
   Dram  =    27.34375 Grain;
   Ounce =    16.0 Dram;
   Pound =    16.0 Ounce;
   Ton   = 2_000.0 Pound
end units Avoirdupois_Weight;