Template talk:Hands

This is the discussion page for: Template:Hands.

Updated for fractions, lk=off, abbr=hh, r=1

7-July-2011: UPDATED (from /sandbox). I have updated Template:Hands to allow the new options. This is the first update since 23 August 2009. The updated features include:  allows a fraction as in 14.1+3⁄4; new options: abbr=on (or abbr=hh for "hh"), lk=off to not wikilink; r=1 to round inches/cm as 1 decimal place, rinch=1 to round inches, rcm=1 to round cm to 1 decimal; fixed for ranges, omits spaces if hyphen/dash or comma in the range; and shows more examples.

The changes were tested in the /sandbox version, in Template:Hands/sandbox, to allow unlinking "hands" by lk=off, and to support fractional horse heights, such as Theodore O'Connor being 14.1 ³⁄₄ hh (or ¹⁄₂?). The fraction 3/4 adds 0.75 inches. Examples:

• {{hands|14.2}} → 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm)
• {{hands|14.2|lk=off}} → 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm)
• {{hands|14.1+3/4}}   → 14.1 ³⁄₄ hands (57.75 inches, 147 cm)
• {{hands|15.2+655/1000}}   → 15.2 ⁶⁵⁵⁄₁₀₀₀ hands (62.655 inches, 159 cm)

Note how the ³⁄₄ of an inch is coded as "+3/4" combined with the number "14.1+3/4" in hands. The wikilink for "hands" will default to "lk=on" so to get plain text, use "lk=off" when showing many horse heights in an article.

New options for abbreviation and rounding: Keeping Template:Hands with the same simple results, I have also added optional parameters for abbreviation (abbr=on or abbr=hh to show "hh" for hands high) and rounding (r=2, rinch=2, rcm=1). We need to round the inches, in the rare case of having 1/3 inch (0.333333333):

• {{hands|14.1+1/3}}          → 14.1 ¹⁄₃ hands (57.333333333333 inches, 146 cm)
• {{hands|14.1+1/3|rinch=1}} → 14.1 ¹⁄₃ hands (57.3 inches, 146 cm)
• {{hands|15.3|abbr=on}}      → 15.3 h (63 inches, 160 cm)
• {{hands|15.3|abbr=hh}}      → 15.3 hh (63 inches, 160 cm)

With option rinch=1, inches are rounded to 1 decimal place, to show "57.3" rather than 57.333333333333 inches when 1/3 inch. Remember, all those new parameters are optional, and Template:Hands will still default to the simple inches/cm as before. The plan is to keep Hands simple for most cases, while allowing rare options, when there are several heights in one article. -Wikid77 15:03, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

Template:Convert supports hands

The standard measurement converter, Template:Convert, also has an option for converting the hand (unit), as unit-code "hand" or "hands". However, the parameters for Convert are in a different order than in Template:Hands. Some examples:

• {{convert|1.9|m|hands}} → 1.9 metres (18.3 hands)
• {{convert|13.1|-|13.3|hands|in}}   → 13.1–13.3 hands (53–55 inches)
• {{convert|14.3|hands}}       → 14.3 hands (59 inches; 150 cm)
• {{convert|14.3|hands|in cm}} → 14.3 hands (59 inches; 150 cm)
• {{convert|14.3|hands|royal cubit}} → 14.3 hands (2.9 cu)

Use of Template:Convert allows a greater variety of other units, than Template:Hands, beyond just inches and cm. -Wikid77 (talk) 15:03, 7 July 2011 (UTC)

edit request, please give people a hand

The template:hands page starts with an out-of-context demonstration of the template:

1.1 hands (5 inches, 13 cm)

Did someone accidentally delete the explanation for why that's there, or did they intend to include that elsewhere in the page?

The template currently converts 1.1 hands thusly:

1.1 hands (5 inches, 13 cm)

How easily could we change it to display:

1.1 hands (5 inches, or 13 cm)

The way it is now reminds me too much of how we might describe someone's height:

168 cm (5 ft, 6 in)

152 cm (5 ft, 60 in)

Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch#Editorializing cautions us not to presume too much about the reader's knowledge and perspective, and the whole point of a template like this is to clarify meanings for readers who do not have the knowledge to convert the units easily on their own. If you need hands converted to inches and centimeters because you don't know how to convert inches to/from centimeters yourself, is it so unlikely you also won't know whether the parenthesized values are synonyms (5 in ≈ 13 cm; 5 ft = 60 in) or operands (5 ft + 6 in; 5 in + 13 cm)?

Wishing everyone safe, happy, productive editing. --70.22.1.45 (talk) 01:15, 13 August 2025 (UTC)