https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=499955
Bug ID: 499955
Summary: Calculator should support unit conversions
Classification: Plasma
Product: krunner
Version: 6.3.0
Platform: Neon
OS: Linux
Status: REPORTED
Severity: wishlist
Priority: NOR
Component: calculator
Assignee: plasma-b...@kde.org
Reporter: grantgryc...@gmail.com
CC: alexander.loh...@gmx.de, natalie_clar...@yahoo.de
Target Milestone: ---
SUMMARY
I expected unit conversions to work in the KRunner with the same conventional
syntax that works in Windows search, Google Chrome search, ChromeOS search, and
(if I recall correctly) Pop!_OS search: "(expresion) to (unit)" or
"(expression) into (unit)" should give the output of the specified expression
in the specified unit. But I was surprised to find this has not been
implemented in KDE search.
Currently, inputting a conversion like "5 in to ft" outputs gibberish like "5 *
int(1 B*ft)". (See attached image.)
SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
KDE Plasma Version: 6.3.0
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.11.0
Qt Version: 6.8.2
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
There is a separate unit converter search plugin, but it's far less powerful
because:
1. It only supports a specific set of basic units. You can't do anything
complex like "5 GiB/min", and this couldn't even theoretically be designed in a
way that follows from the unit converter's current design, since it would have
to show every combination of units for gibibytes and for seconds. Adding more
units to the input would increase the number of outputted unit combinations
exponentially, which is impractical for users to scroll through. I'd really
like to be able to do more complex conversions like "5 GiB/min to MB/s". Google
Chrome's search bar, for example, tells me this equals "89.4784853 MB / s".
2. You can't do math with units, like "6 mph * 7 hr". Currently, the calculator
can handle this, but it chooses the output units arbitrarily. For example, "6
mph * 7 hr" outputs "67.592448 km". This is expected! But if I want the output
in miles (which would make sense considering I inputted miles per hour), then I
would expect to be able to add "to mi" to the end. Currently, "6 mph * 7 hr to
mi" outputs the gibberish "67.592448 Mt*B*m^2". I have never even heard of
these units. Windows search tells me my input equals "42 miles".
It may be out of scope for this suggestion, but to be honest, I would further
suggest getting rid of the default unit converter plugin in favor of unifying
the unit conversion functionality into the calculator the way I described
above, and the way that every other search bar calculator I've used before
works. I think having these two use cases (that heavily overlap each other)
unified into one plugin would make the most sense and be the most usable, and I
think that if this suggestion is implemented, the unit converter becomes
redundant. I've not seen anyone else display a list of possible units as
outputs the way KRunner does. I find the unit converter difficult or less
convenient to use, compared to simply entering the output unit and seeing the
desired result immediately. That way, I don't have to skim through a bunch of
results, and be limited to only one basic unit.
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