Aspect Delimiters fields

The Aspect Delimiters fields in the Measurement Type file let you specify the order of measurement aspects, the data the system will accept, and how the aspects are displayed.

How these fields work

  • The Aspect field specifies the order in which aspects of measurement should be displayed (for example, Height x Width x Depth or Depth x Width x Height).

  • The Input field specifies the data the system will accept for each aspect.

  • The Output field specifies the way the system will display the data.

Order of aspects

To establish the order in which the aspects of a measurement will be displayed, simply enter the aspects in the Aspects field, one on each line of the field, in the desired order.

Input Delimiters

If you enter no input delimiters in the Input field, the system will still accept numbers and the x between them (for example, 27 x 13 x 3) and will convert these to any output delimiters you specify. However, the system would not accept anything else. For example, if you were to enter 27h 13w 3d, the system would tell you that h and w and d are not valid terms.

It is easier to specify a range of input delimiters (such as h, H, high and height for Height; w, W, Width and Wide for Width, etc) than it is to remember not to enter anything but numbers.

If the data you are working from has h, w, and d in it, you will probably forget that you are not to enter these, and will type them along with the numbers. If you haven't recorded these terms in the Input field, then the result can be frustrating as the system continues to remind you that these are not valid terms.

It is also useful to define input delimiters because of those situations where measurements are entered in a different order. For example there may be situations where you are presented with information for a large number of objects, showing the measurements as Width by Depth by Height instead of Height by Width by Depth. Rather than mentally sorting each to the correct order during data entry, you will probably prefer to enter them as they appear, letting the system convert them to the right order.

This would only be possible if you had defined input delimiters. For example, once the system knows that a number followed by h, H or Height is the height, and a number followed by w, W or Width is the width, you could enter 3D 27H 13W and the system will record those measurements accurately, and will display them in the order you specified for aspects (for example, H 27 x W 13 x D 3cm).

Once you have specified input delimiters, there is no longer any need to enter the X, or even a space between numbers. For example, you can enter 27h13w4d and the system will convert this to your output specification.

Output delimiters

The output delimiters you enter in the Output field indicate the way you want the system to identify the aspect, regardless of how it was entered. For example, for the Measurement Type term Dimensions, you might enter output delimiters as one of these options: 

  • H, W and D

  • Height, Width and Depth

  • High, Wide and Deep

You might then enter the measurement reading 27 x 13 x 3 and, depending on which output delimiters you specified, the system would display the measurement as one of these formats: 

  • H 27 x W 13 x D 3

  • Height 27 x Width 13 x Depth 3cm

  • 27 High x 13 Wide x 3 Deep

If no output delimiters are specified, the system will display only the measurements you enter and will not identify which aspect of measurement each number applies to. For example, measurements will be displayed as 27 x 13 x 2 instead of H 27 x W 13 x D 2.

If you choose not to specify output delimiters, you should specify input delimiters. The system will always display measurement aspects in the order you specify, regardless of the order in which they were entered. If you specify neither input nor output delimiters, the system will assume that measurements have been entered in the right order, but will have no way to verify this, and nor will you. The possibility of errors will simply be increased.

Field details

Field type

Text fields

Internal field names

  • Aspect: ASPECT

  • Input: ASPECT_INPUT_DELIMS

  • Output: ASPECT_OUTPUT_DELIMS

Location

Measurement Type file > Unit Aspects tab

Searching on this field

Use a Select Statement.

Reporting on this field

This is how to select this field in Reporting.

  • Field (Across the page) reports: Select Aspect, Aspect Input Delims, and Aspect Output Delims.

  • Group (Down the page) reports: Expand Aspects then select Aspect, Input Delims, and Output Delims.

You can't sort on this field.