Module:Convert/doc

This module converts a value from one unit of measurement to another. For example:

• {{convert|123|lb|kg}} → 123 pounds (56 kg)

The module is called using a template—parameters passed to the template are used by this module to control how a conversion is performed. For example, units can be abbreviated (like kg), or displayed as names (like kilogram), and the output value can be rounded to a specified precision. For usage information, see Help:Convert.

Templates and modules

Templates that invoke this module are:

• Template:Convert
• Template:Cvt (convert with abbr=on)

The following modules are required:

• Module:Convert – (this module) code to convert units
• Module:Convert/data – unit definitions
• Module:Convert/text – text messages, and parameter names and values

For Wikidata support the following modules are required:

• Module:Convert/wikidata
• Module:Convert/wikidata/data

The following modules are optional and are used only if required and if the module exists:

• Module:Convert/extra – extra (temporary) unit definitions; used if a unit is not found in Module:Convert/data
• Module:ConvertNumeric – code to spell an input value in words

The following help pages are available:

• Help:Convert – overview
• Help:Convert messages – describes error and warning messages; messages link to this page so it is required when the module is copied to another wiki
• Help:Convert units – overview of units

A page containing a convert error is added to the following hidden category, providing the page is in a specified namespace (articles, by default):

• Category:Convert errors (0)

Units are defined in the wikitext of the master list of units.

• Module:Convert/documentation/conversion data – master list of unit definitions
• Module:Convert/makeunits – translates wikitext from the master list to Lua
• Module talk:Convert/makeunits – makeunits results; copy the text to Module:Convert/data

Module:Convert/data is transcluded into every page using the convert module, so experimenting with a new unit in that module would involve a significant overhead. The Module:Convert/extra module is an alternative which is only transcluded on pages with a unit that is not defined in the main data module.

Module talk:Convert/show lists all unit links so they can be checked.

Configuration

The template that invokes this module can define options to configure the module. For example:

• {{#invoke:convert|convert|numdot=,|numsep=.}}

Sets the decimal mark to be a comma, and the thousands separator to be a dot.

Other options, with default values, are:

• |maxsigfig=14 – maximum number of significant figures
• |nscat=0 – namespaces (comma separated) in which an error or warning adds a category to the page
• |warnings=0 – 0 (zero) disables warnings; 1 shows important warnings; 2 shows all warnings

An option in the template can specify that the sandbox versions of the modules be used. If specified, the text on the right-hand side of the equals sign must be the name of the subpage for each sandbox module.

• |sandbox=sandbox – omit for normal operation

All text used for input parameters and for output messages and categories can be customized. For example, at enwiki the option |lk=on can be used to link each displayed unit to its article. The "lk" and "on" can be replaced with any desired text.