Unit conversion and rounding rules

The ESRI Nautical Solution product library workspace XML file that is included has preconfigured unit conversion rules and rounding rules.

Learn more about the product library

Unit conversion

The Nautical Solution allows you to define unit conversion rules that can be applied with various tools.

Nota:

You should modify the default unit conversion rules if they are different for your business rules.

The unit conversion destination fields in your nautical database are updated to the converted value whenever you attribute certain source fields for a new or existing feature. The destination _UC field stores the rule ID of the unit conversion rule that is associated with the conversion calculation that was used.

Supported measurements include

• Unknown units
• Inches
• Points
• Feet
• Yards
• Miles
• Nautical Miles
• Millimeters
• Centimeters
• Meters
• Kilometers
• Decimal Degrees
• Decimeters
• Units Last
• Fathoms and Feet
• Fathoms and Fractions
• Degrees of Arc
• Cables
• Fathoms

Rounding rules

The Nautical Solution allows you to define unit conversion rounding rules that can be applied with various tools. The rounding rule definition is accessible through ArcCatalog.

Nota:

You need to modify the default rounding rules if they are different for your business rules.

A rounding rule is composed of rounding rule intervals and primary and secondary mappings for each interval.

Rounding rule intervals

A rounding rule interval is defined by ranges of values and a precision. The range of values for the interval specifies a minimum and maximum value. Brackets [ ] are used if you want to include the minimum or maximum in the range; parentheses ( ) exclude the value. The precision defines what the value is rounded to (the nearest 0.1 [tenth], 0.5 [half or whole number], 1 [whole number], and so on).

Some rounding rules may require negative intervals. Soundings, for example, may have drying heights that are represented using negative depths. The drying height values cannot be rounded if a negative interval is not included for the range covered by a minimum value of the highest drying height to a maximum value of zero. Typically, intervals will not pass zero since the mappings associated with negative intervals need to have a negative range, while the mappings associated with positive intervals need to have a positive range.

Nota:

If your rounding rule intervals are not large enough, you could experience errors when the application tries to round a value that is not found in any interval of the appropriate rounding rule.

Primary mappings

A primary mapping is used for comparison in the interval's precision. It is defined by ranges of values and a mapping for each range. The range of values for the interval specifies a minimum and maximum value. Brackets [ ] are used if you want to include the minimum or maximum in the range; parentheses ( ) exclude the value. The mapping defines what the rounded value will be increased to. You can also preserve leading and trailing zeros by checking the appropriate check boxes, which is for labeling/display purposes.

The mappings for negative intervals need to have negative ranges. Such negative mappings are typically symmetric to their positive counterparts. For example: assume the mappings [0.0, 0.07], which maps to 0.0, and (0.07, 1.0], which maps to 1.0. The negative counterpart would be the mappings [-1.0, 0.7), which maps to -1.0, and [-0.7, 0], which maps to 0.0.

Nota:

If the precision is a decimal place (0.1, 1, 10, and so on), the mapping ranges must cover a range from 0 to the precision. Otherwise, they must cover a range from 0 to the next larger whole decimal place. For example, if the precision is 0.5, the mappings must cover all values from 0 to 1. Otherwise, you could experience errors when the application tries to round a value that is not found in any mapping of the appropriate rounding rule interval.

For examples using the rules defined in Meters.Decimeters, see the table below.

Original value	Rounded value	Notes
10.6	10.6	No rounding occurs because the precision is to the tenths decimal place.
10.64	10.6	0.04 is compared in the primary mapping and falls between 0 and 0.07, so it is rounded to 0.
10.68	10.7	0.08 is compared in the primary mapping and falls between 0.07 and 1, so it is rounded to the next tenth.

Table on rounding rule values

Secondary mappings

A secondary mapping is used when values are in mixed units. It is defined by ranges of values, a conversion rule, and a mapping. The range of values for the interval specifies a minimum and maximum value. Brackets [ ] are used if you want to include the minimum or maximum in the range; parentheses ( ) exclude the value. The mapping defines what the rounded value will be increased to once it is converted.

Nota:

If the precision is a decimal place (0.1, 1, 10, and so on), the mapping ranges must cover a range from 0 to the precision. Otherwise, they must cover a range from 0 to the next larger whole decimal place. For example, if the precision is 0.5, the mappings must cover all values from 0 to 1. Otherwise, you could experience errors when the application tries to round a value that is not found in any mapping of the appropriate rounding rule interval.

For examples using the rules defined in Fathoms.Feet, see the table below.

Original value	Rounded value	Notes
2.55 fathoms	2 fathoms and 3 feet	0.55 fathoms is 3.3 feet; 0.3 is compared in the secondary mapping and falls between 0 and 0.7, so it is mapped to 0; 3.3 feet is rounded to 3 feet.
2.79 fathoms	2 fathoms and 5 feet	0.79 fathoms is 4.74 feet; 0.74 is compared in the secondary mapping and falls between 0.7 and 1; it is mapped to 1 and increased to the next whole number; thus 4.74 feet is rounded to 5 feet.

Rounding rule values

Rounding rules are referenced, meaning the destination _RR field stores the rule ID of the rounding rule that is associated with the destination field and source unit. However, rounding rules are not applied to the destination field until you specify them to be applied.