ucar.units
Interface UnitFormat

All Known Implementing Classes:

StandardUnitFormat, UnitFormatImpl

public interface UnitFormat

Interface for classes that parse and format unit specifications.

Version:

$Id: UnitFormat.java 64 2006-07-12 22:30:50Z edavis $

Author:

Steven R. Emmerson

Method Summary

String	format(Factor factor) Formats a Factor (a base unit/exponent pair).
StringBuffer	format(Factor factor, StringBuffer buffer) Appends a formatted factor to a string buffer.
String	format(Unit unit) Formats a unit.
StringBuffer	format(Unit unit, StringBuffer buffer) Appends a formatted unit to a string buffer.
String	longFormat(Unit unit) Formats a unit using a long form.
StringBuffer	longFormat(Unit unit, StringBuffer buffer) Appends a unit formatted according to the long form to a string buffer.
Unit	parse(String spec) Parses a unit specification.
Unit	parse(String spec, UnitDB unitDB) Parses a unit specification.

Method Detail

parse

Unit parse(String spec)
           throws NoSuchUnitException,
                  UnitParseException,
                  SpecificationException,
                  UnitDBException,
                  PrefixDBException,
                  UnitSystemException

Parses a unit specification.

Parameters:

spec - The unit specification (e.g. "m/s");

Returns:

The unit corresponding to the specification.

Throws:

NoSuchUnitException - A unit in the specification couldn't be found (e.g. the "m" in the example).

UnitParseException - The specification is grammatically incorrect.

SpecificationException - The specification is incorrect somehow.

UnitDBException - Problem with the unit database.

PrefixDBException - Problem with the unit-prefix database.

UnitSystemException - Problem with the system of units.

parse

Unit parse(String spec,
           UnitDB unitDB)
           throws NoSuchUnitException,
                  UnitParseException,
                  SpecificationException,
                  UnitDBException,
                  PrefixDBException,
                  UnitSystemException

Parses a unit specification.

Parameters:

spec - The unit specification (e.g. "m/s");

unitDB - The unit database.

Returns:

The unit corresponding to the specification.

Throws:

NoSuchUnitException - A unit in the specification couldn't be found (e.g. the "m" in the example).

UnitParseException - The specification is grammatically incorrect.

SpecificationException - The specification is incorrect somehow.

UnitDBException - Problem with the unit database.

PrefixDBException - Problem with the unit-prefix database.

UnitSystemException - Problem with the system of units.

format

String format(Factor factor)

Formats a Factor (a base unit/exponent pair).

Parameters:

factor - The base unit/exponent pair.

Returns:

The formatted factor.

format

StringBuffer format(Factor factor,
                    StringBuffer buffer)

Appends a formatted factor to a string buffer. A factor is a base unit/exponent pair).

Parameters:

factor - The base unit/exponent pair.

buffer - The string buffer to be appended to.

Returns:

The string buffer.

format

String format(Unit unit)
              throws UnitClassException

Formats a unit. If the unit has a symbol or name, then one of them will be used; otherwise, a specification of the unit in terms of underlying units will be returned.

Parameters:

unit - The unit.

Returns:

The formatted unit.

Throws:

UnitClassException

longFormat

String longFormat(Unit unit)
                  throws UnitClassException

Formats a unit using a long form. This always returns a specification for the unit in terms of underlying units: it doesn't return the name or symbol of the unit unless the unit is a base unit.

Parameters:

unit - The unit.

Returns:

The formatted unit.

Throws:

UnitClassException

format

StringBuffer format(Unit unit,
                    StringBuffer buffer)
                    throws UnitClassException

Appends a formatted unit to a string buffer. This is similar to format(Unit) but it appends the specification to a string buffer.

Parameters:

unit - The unit.

buffer - The string buffer to be appended to.

Returns:

The string buffer.

Throws:

UnitClassException

longFormat

StringBuffer longFormat(Unit unit,
                        StringBuffer buffer)
                        throws UnitClassException

Appends a unit formatted according to the long form to a string buffer. This is similar to longFormat(Unit) but it appends the specification to a string buffer.

Parameters:

unit - The unit.

buffer - The string buffer to be appended to.

Returns:

The string buffer.

Throws:

UnitClassException