Unit of measure
The scale a number is expressed in, such as kilograms, pounds, meters, or hours. A number without its unit is not yet a measurement.
Store one unit per column and put the unit in the column name or the data dictionary. A column that mixes units still adds up without complaint, and the total is meaningless.
Where it comes up
- Mixed unitsValues in one column are measured in different units, sometimes with the unit written in the cell and sometimes not.
See also
- NormalizationConverting values to a common form or scale. The word is used for text (one case, one spacing), for numbers (a common range), and for database design (removing repetition).
- Currency codeA three-letter code that names a currency without ambiguity, such as USD, EUR, or JPY. The codes are defined by the ISO 4217 standard.
- Data dictionaryA document that describes each column in a dataset: its name, meaning, data type, allowed values, and units.