Units and sub-units

Units make values easier to understand. They are especially useful when several series share the same measurement logic.

You can browse the available units to see units already documented on the site.

Understand units

A unit describes a measurement family. A sub-unit describes one precise way to express that measurement.

For example, a mass unit can contain g, kg, and t. A duration unit can contain seconds, minutes, or hours. A series can then use one of those sub-units to display values correctly.

If you only track a simple counter, a unit is not always necessary. If you track temperatures, distances, durations, or weights, it becomes much more useful.

Create a unit

The unit form asks for a display name, technical key, base sub-unit, and list of sub-units.

The name is what you read in the interface. The technical key identifies the unit in a stable way, especially when DataJot reuses templates.

The base sub-unit acts as the reference for internal conversions. The form checks that it always points to an existing sub-unit.

Create a sub-unit

A sub-unit has a key, name, abbreviation, and conversion factor.

The abbreviation is what you see next to values. For example, kg is easier to read in a card or chart than the full word “kilogram”.

DataJot prevents saving a sub-unit if its key, name, or abbreviation is empty. Keys must also remain unique inside the same unit.

Associate a unit with a series

From a unit detail screen, you can see the series that use it and associate or dissociate series.

When a series is associated with a unit, it uses that unit and its base sub-unit. When it is dissociated, it loses the associated unit information.

Example

To track weight, you can create or use a mass unit with a kg sub-unit. The “Weight” series then displays values with that abbreviation, avoiding values without context.

For a counter like “Coffee”, you can also stay without a unit if the number is enough to understand the data.

If you start from a series template, the unit can sometimes be created or reused automatically. The Series page explains this behavior.