Text Formatting ⇒ Best Practice for typesetting physical Quantities

[svend_tveskaeg]

Consider the following example.

Code: Select all

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage[
  locale=DE
]{siunitx}

\begin{document}

\noindent Should I use
\[
  \SI{38.0}{\cm} + 2 \cdot \SI{26.2}{\cm} + \SI{32.6}{\cm}
  = \SI[parse-numbers=false]{(38{,}0 + 52{,}4 + 32{,}6)}{\cm}
  = \SI{123.0}{\cm}.
\]
or
\[
  \SI{38.0}{\cm} + 2 \cdot \SI{26.2}{\cm} + \SI{32.6}{\cm}
  = (\num{38.0} + \num{52.4} + \num{32.6})\,\si{\cm}
  = \SI{123.0}{\cm}.
\]
when typing physical units?

\end{document}

The question is in the attached screenshot of the output.

[cgnieder]

This is rather subjective I think. I would prefer the second version but I can't tell you why, exactly. This is just a feeling.

Best

[svend_tveskaeg]

Okay. Thank you, Clemens.

[cgnieder]

BTW: one could think of a third way:

Code: Select all

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage[
  locale=DE
]{siunitx}

\begin{document}

\[
  \SI{38.0}{\cm} + 2 \cdot \SI{26.2}{\cm} + \SI{32.6}{\cm}
  = \SIlist[list-separator=+,list-final-separator=+,list-units=brackets]{38;52.4;32.6}{\cm}
  = \SI{123.0}{\cm}.
\]

\end{document}

But I'm still not entirely sure which one I'd choose in the end.

Regards

[svend_tveskaeg]

This is really nice. I'll use the following:

Code: Select all

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage[
  locale=DE
]{siunitx}

\newcommand*\horse[3]{
  \SIlist[
    list-separator=#1,
    list-final-separator=#1,
    list-units=brackets
  ]{#2}{#3}
}

\begin{document}

\[
  \SI{38.0}{\cm} + 2 \cdot \SI{26.2}{\cm} + \SI{32.6}{\cm}
  = \horse{+}{100; 38; 52.4; 32.6}{\cm}
  = \SI{123.0}{\cm}.
\]

\end{document}