Of the two references from the Wikipedia article, one is to a standard that has been withdrawn, and the other says:
In mathematical expressions, the internationally recognized symbol % (percent) may be used with the SI to represent the number 0.01. Thus, it can be used to express the values of dimensionless quantities. When it is used, a space separates the number and the symbol %. In expressing the values of dimensionless quantities in this way, the symbol % should be used rather than the name “percent”. In written text, however, the symbol % generally takes the meaning of “parts per hundred”. There's an implication (but only an implication) that the use "in written text" might be different from that "in mathematical expressions". A space is added in front of units, certainly, but a percentage sign, whether it means "0.01" or "parts per hundred", is not a unit. I filed the bug because my preference is that of the style guides, which tend to be more interested in aesthetics than standards bodies. But I think the most important consideration here is consistency. I can't find anything about this subject in the GNOME HIG, but Sound preferences omits the space before %, (as do df and di on the command line). The Ubuntu Power Statistics on my laptop puts a space before units (Wh) but not before percentage signs. I have, so far, been unable to find another core Ubuntu UI with a space before percentage sign (indeed, I haven't found any other program that does so, but I've been concentrating on core Ubuntu programs). OpenOffice.org Calc does not put a space before percentage signs (looking in the Format->Cells... dialog, under Percentage style). -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/573304 Title: Disk check shows spurious space before % sign -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
