Help:Convert messages

This page describes the error and warning messages reported by Module:Convert if a problem is detected while using convert to convert a value from one unit of measurement to another.


 * Help:Convert • Overview
 * Help:Convert units • Simplified list of some commonly used units
 * Module:Convert/documentation/conversion data • Master list of all units used in convert

Asking questions
If a problem cannot readily be resolved, please report it at one of the following.
 * Template talk:Convert • Questions on using the convert template, or discussion of any problems encountered
 * Help desk • General questions
 * Module talk:Convert • Discussion concerning the convert modules

Needs a number
Mouseover the message to see further information. An input number is required. In the first example above, the input number is.
 * → 123 m
 * → undefined m

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

Needs another number
Mouseover the message to see further information. The first input number was specified, but the range used requires another number.
 * → 10 x
 * → 10 x
 * → 10 x

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

Invalid number
Mouseover the message to see further information. A number to be converted can be entered as in these examples:  or   or.
 * → 1 km
 * → km ft

Fractions are entered as in these examples:  ($1 2/3$) or   (−$1 2/3$) or   ($2/3$).

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

Number overflow
Mouseover the message to see further information. This error occurs if a number exceeds the range of values available for calculations. The number 1e290 means 1 × 10290.
 * → 1e290 m
 * → 1e310 m
 * → 0 mpgus (inverse attempts to divide by zero)

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

Invalid precision
Mouseover the message to see further information. A precision value is entered after the conversion information. For example, 2 gives a result that is rounded to two decimal places, while -2 rounds to the nearest 100 so that two zeroes occur at the end of the number. This message will only appear if warnings have been enabled.
 * → 21455 acre
 * → 21455 acre

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

Precision too large
Mouseover the message to see further information. Generally there is no reason to use a precision of more than a few decimal places, however, larger values may be used. The error shown occurs if the requested precision is higher than the maximum supported by the server.
 * → 123 m
 * → 123 m

A negative precision rounds to the nearest 10 (parameter -1), or nearest 100 (-2), or nearest 1000 (-3), etc. A large negative precision produces a zero output.
 * → 123 m
 * → 123 m

Using a very small input value can cause the default precision to exceed the limit ( is 1.234 × 10−200). For such very small values, it is better to use the sigfig option.
 * → 1.234 m
 * → 1.234e-200 m
 * → 1.234e-200 m

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

Invalid altitude
Mouseover the message to see further information.
 * → 1.9 Mach
 * → 1.9 Mach
 * → 1.9 Mach

Conversion of the Mach unit of speed depends on the altitude at which the speed is measured. That altitude should be specified either in feet (for example, 10,000) or in metres (for example, 3,749). The altitude cannot be determined accurately and only a whole number is accepted.

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

Invalid fraction
Mouseover the message to see further information.
 * → 12.31 m
 * → 12.31 m

A fraction denominator can be specified to display results with a fraction where appropriate. For example, 8 specifies that the value should be rounded to the nearest eighth, and that a fraction should be included if necessary. A fraction denominator must be a whole number with value 2 or more. This message will only appear if warnings have been enabled.

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

Invalid sigfig
Mouseover the message to see further information.

The number of significant figures in the result can be specified. For example, 2 requests two significant figures. The number of significant figures must be a whole number with value 1 or more. This message will only appear if warnings have been enabled.
 * → 1234 ft

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

Deprecated option
Mouseover the asterisk after the convert result to see further information.
 * → 123 m
 * → 7002123000000000000 123 metres (404 ft)*

The option on outputs a hidden sort key for use in a sortable table. The option out is now the same as on, and the latter should be used. See deprecated options for information regarding which options should be used to replace those that are being phased out.

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

Empty option
Mouseover the message to see further information. The option us specifies that US spelling should be used ("meters" instead of "metres"). However, sp has no effect as no value is specified. This message will only appear if all warnings have been enabled.
 * → 123 m

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

Invalid option
Mouse over the message to see further information. The option off specifies that abbreviations are off, that is, unit names will be used instead of symbols. By contrast, off is ignored because "abr" is not the name of an option. The option 28, which should be placed after all the unit options, specifies that 8.5 metres is converted to inches with 28 significant figures. By contrast, 28in and inoffin are ignored because 28 is followed by a unit, and in is not the name of a formatting option.
 * → 123 m
 * → 8.5 m
 * → 8.5 m

This message will only appear if warnings have been enabled. Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

Needs unit name
Mouseover the message to see further information. A unit code must be specified following the input number or numbers.
 * → 12 ft
 * → 12 undefined
 * → 12 undefined
 * → 12 x
 * → 12 x

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

<span id="unknown_unit">Unknown unit
Mouseover the message to see further information. Each unit code must exactly match a known unit, case sensitive. A simplified list of unit codes is at Help:Convert units, and all available unit codes are here.
 * → 12 ft
 * → 12 Ft
 * → 12 ft

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

<span id="unit_mismatch">Unit mismatch
Mouseover the message to see further information. It is only possible to convert between units that have the same type. For example,  and   are each of type "pressure" so a   value can be converted to. However, a  value cannot be converted to a unit of a different type, such as   (hectare) which has type "area".
 * → 123 psi
 * → 123 psi

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

<span id="ambiguous_unit">Ambiguous unit
Mouseover the message to see further information. Some unit codes are not supported; using them results in an message indicating that a different unit code should be chosen.
 * → 21 mpgus
 * → 21 mpg
 * → 21 USpt
 * → 21 pt

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

<span id="unit_invalid_here">Unit invalid here
Mouseover the message to see further information. Some units can only be used as outputs. For example " " displays a temperature in Celsius and Fahrenheit. Such a unit cannot be used with an input value, because, for example, there is no such temperature as " ". Some output combinations are predefined—" " is one example, and " " (miles and kilometres) is another. It is also possible to construct an output combination by joining unit codes with " ". However, individual units have to be specified, and an output combination cannot be used.
 * → 123 K
 * → 123 C F
 * → 12345 ft
 * → 12345 ft
 * → 12345 ft

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

<span id="wikidata_problem">Wikidata problem
Mouseover the message to see further information. An unexpected error occurred while attempting to use the Wikidata modules to read property or item information. This error should not occur; the above is a simulation of what would be displayed if, for example, the Wikidata modules were not available, or if they contained an error.
 * → <sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[ convert: wikidata problem ]

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.

<span id="invalid_input">Invalid input
Mouseover the message to see further information. Convert is configured to display any input text without error if a conversion fails, so this error should not occur. The above is a simulation of what would be displayed if convert were configured to show problems when a conversion was not possible.
 * → <sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<span title="Convert: input &quot;whatever&quot; must be a number and unit">convert: invalid input ]

The following examples use the  parameter. The unit  is known to convert, but since no useful conversion is possible, there is no output. There is no  unit, so the input is displayed as given. The final example follows the same rule because  is not a valid property identifier.
 * → undefined undefined
 * → undefined undefined
 * → undefined undefined
 * → undefined undefined

Pages with this error are automatically placed in Category:Convert errors.