wales@lsuc.UUCP (07/15/87)
I'm posting this for Rich Wales, who lives in California but is greatly interested in Canada and gets can.* mailed to him automatically by us. -- David Sherman (lsuc!dave) ===================================================== In article <225@Mannix.iros1.UUCP>, fortin@iros1.UUCP (Denis Fortin) writes: > In article <5042@utcsri.UUCP> flaps@utcsri.UUCP (Alan J Rosenthal) > writes: > > > >>There are French net.readers and there are English net.readers... > >>Since 99,9% of the net.news are in English, all readers must be able > > ^ (good thing I speak French numerals) > > A quick (and totally unrelated) question: Isn't that standard in > metric? And if so, isn't that supposed to be the standard in Canada > these days? No. The period is, officially, still the proper decimal point in English-language documents in Canada. Canada's Metric Commission has, however, recommended that long numbers be punctuated with spaces (not commas) between groups of three digits, except for financial documents. The following material is quoted from Section 5.09 (page 90) of the 1985 book "The Canadian Style: A Guide to Writing and Editing", by the Department of the Secretary of State (ISBN 0-919670-93-8). Note 1: In many countries the decimal marker is the comma, not the period. The Metric Commission, however, recommends the use of the period as the decimal marker in English-language texts in Canada. Writers and editors should be aware that both methods of indicating the decimal are in current use and are appropriate, depending on the context. Note 2: Formerly, groups of three figures were separated from one another by a comma in the English-speaking world. To prevent such a comma from being mistaken for the decimal marker used by most countries and to comply with the decisions of the Metric Commission and Internation Standard ISO 31/0, it is recommended that this practice by abandoned except in financial documents.[1] A space should be used instead of a comma, and such a space is also to be inserted after groups of three digits to the right of a decimal point. Note that numbers of four digits only (on either side of the decimal marker) need not be so spaced unless used in combination with other numbers of more than four digits. The following examples illustrate the correct use of the space to separate triads of numbers: WHOLE NUMBERS DECIMALS 5005 or 5 005 5.0005 or 5.000 5 50 005 5.000 05 500 005 5.000 005 500 005 000 5.000 005 000 Omit the space in pagination, inclusive numbers, addresses, numbering of verse, telephone numbers, library numbers, serial numbers and the like. [Footnote 1: It is currently the policy of the Government of Canada to continue to use the comma to separate triads of numbers on payment instruments and financial documents. . . .] -- Rich Wales // UCLA Computer Science Department // +1 213-825-5683 3531 Boelter Hall // Los Angeles, California 90024-1596 // USA wales@CS.UCLA.EDU ...!(ucbvax,rutgers)!ucla-cs!wales "Sir, there is a multilegged creature crawling on your shoulder."