[bug #68053] [mapping] unitratio() does not accept plural unit names (MATLAB compatibility)

GnuPooh <[email protected]> Mon, 16 Feb 2026 17:52:52 -0500 (EST)

Newsgroups	gmane.comp.gnu.octave.bugs
Message-ID	<[email protected]>

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URL:
  <https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?68053>

                 Summary: [mapping] unitratio() does not accept plural unit
names (MATLAB compatibility)
                   Group: GNU Octave
               Submitter: gnupooh
               Submitted: Mon 16 Feb 2026 10:52:48 PM UTC
                Category: Octave Package
                Severity: 3 - Normal
                Priority: 5 - Normal
              Item Group: Matlab Compatibility
                  Status: None
             Assigned to: None
         Originator Name: Rick Niles
        Originator Email:
             Open/Closed: Open
         Discussion Lock: Unlocked
                 Release: other
        Operating System: Any
           Fixed Release: None
         Planned Release: None


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Follow-up Comments:


-------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon 16 Feb 2026 10:52:48 PM UTC By: GnuPooh <gnupooh>
Package Name  | Version | Installation directory
--------------+---------+-------------------------
mapping       | 1.4.3   | /usr/share/octave/packages/mapping-1.4.3

In the Octave Mapping package, unitsratio() only accepts singular unit names
such as "meter", but rejects plural forms like "meters".

MATLAB's unitsratio() accepts both singular and plural unit names.
This causes MATLAB-compatible code to fail in Octave.

Example:

Octave:
octave:8> unitsratio("meters","kilometers")
error: Unknown unit: meters
error: called from
    unitsratio at line 36 column 5
octave:9> unitsratio("meter","kilometer")
ans = 1000

MATLAB accepts both forms.

This appears to be a compatibility bug and could possibly be fixed by
normalizing plural forms (e.g., stripping a trailing 's'). e.g.

a = regexprep(a, 's$', '');








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