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Measures

Use measures to give numeric product facts a consistent unit and meaning.

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Key concepts and when to use them

A measure defines a quantity concept such as length, weight, volume, or power. A unit is the way that quantity is expressed, such as centimetre, kilogram, litre, or watt. The attribute holds the numeric value and its selected unit.

Permissions and preparation

Agree the canonical unit and conversion policy with the people who supply and use the data. Administrators and authorised editors can maintain measures and units; viewers can inspect them.

Steps

  1. Create one measure for the quantity concept.
  2. Add the allowed units with clear symbols and conversion information.
  3. Choose the default unit that editors should normally use.
  4. Connect the measure to an integer or decimal attribute.
  5. Enter sample values and check the displayed unit in products and outputs.

Verification

Compare equivalent products entered in different units. Confirm values remain understandable and that any output uses the intended unit for its audience.

Common mistakes and rules

  • Do not mix different quantities in one measure.
  • Do not store the unit inside a free-text number.
  • Do not create separate attributes solely because suppliers use different units.

Work through a representative example

Create a Length measure with centimetre and metre as allowed units. Attach it to Seat height, then enter 45 centimetres for one chair and 0.45 metres for another where the source requires it. Review the two records and the chosen output. The quantity should remain comparable because the concept is Length, not a collection of separately named fields.

Use the default unit for routine editing and choose another allowed unit only when the source requires it. The attribute should always express one quantity concept, not a combined value such as “45 cm high”.

Before importing supplier data, agree which source unit is expected for each quantity and test one conversion with a second editor. This avoids accidental changes between weight, length, and volume.