lengthv

Lengthv is a conceptual data type used in geometry, computer graphics, and engineering to represent a length measurement with possible unit metadata. The term lengthv is short for length value, and in many implementations it is designed to carry both a numeric magnitude and a unit, enabling safe arithmetic and automatic unit conversion.

Representation: A lengthv may be stored as a pair (magnitude, unit) or as a single floating-point value in a base unit such as meters, with a separate unit tag used for display and conversion. Units are typically defined via an enumeration or a registry to support consistent conversions.

Operations: Lengthv supports addition and subtraction between lengths with compatible units, multiplication by a scalar, and conversion to other units. It should reject combining with non-length quantities unless explicit conversion is provided. In geometric contexts lengthv can be used to create normalized direction components by pairing magnitude with a direction vector.

In vector calculations, a lengthv can be used to attach a magnitude to a direction, or represent the length of a vector when combined with its components.

Examples: lengthv(12, 'cm'), lengthv(1.5, 'm') or a structure {value: 12, unit: 'cm'}. Libraries may provide constructors, conversion methods (toMeters, toUnit), and arithmetic operators.

See also: units, dimensional analysis, vector norm, quantity types.