asked on

Decimal to Fractions

I got an equation that will return numbers with a lot of decimal places. I would like for the user to see something that they can measure out with a tape measure so I would like it to round the the nearest 1/16th.

This is what I get: 38.5624897
This is what I want : 3'-2-9/16"

This is all in a textbox.

Harisha M G

Well, here is the logic: (spare me if syntax is wrong, since I'm not running VB here)

val = 38.5624897;

inch = floor(val)             ' Gives 38
fract = val - inch            ' Gives 0.56...
feet = floor(inch / 12)       ' Gives 3
inch = inch Mod 12            ' Gives 2
fract = round(fract * 16)     ' Gives 9

MsgBox(feet & "-" & inch & "-" & fract & "/16")  ' Displays 3-2-9/16

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VBClassicGuy

How about something simple like:
Dim valu As Single
Dim feet As Integer
Dim inches As Integer
Dim sixteenths As Integer
Dim txt As String
Dim dec As Single
Dim i As Integer

valu = 38.5624897 'use for testing

Rem *** Get feet ***
feet = valu \ 12
Rem Get inches ***
txt = Format$(valu - feet * 12, "0.0")
i = InStr(txt, ".")
If i Then
inches = Val(Left$(txt, i - 1))
End If
Rem *** Get fraction ***
txt$ = CStr(valu)
i = InStr(txt, ".")
If i Then
Rem *** There are decimal places ***
dec = Val("0" & Mid(txt, i))
sixteenths = dec / 0.0625
End If

Rem *** Compile answer ***
txtValu.Text = CStr(feet) & "'-" & CStr(inches) & "-" & CStr(sixteenths) & "\16"

VBClassicGuy

Oops, took too long to type in it and test, got beat. Oh well...

joshld

ASKER

I would like for it to be able to simplify the fraction, in other words I would like it to display 2-1/2" if it was 2.5. is there a way to make that work?

VBClassicGuy

OK, clunky, but it works:
Dim valu As Single
Dim feet As Integer
Dim inches As Integer
Dim sixteenths As Integer
Dim txt As String
Dim dec As Single
Dim i As Integer
Dim ans As String

valu = 2.5

Rem *** Get feet ***
feet = valu \ 12

Rem Get inches ***
txt = Format$(valu - feet * 12, "0.0")
i = InStr(txt, ".")
If i Then
inches = Val(Left$(txt, i - 1))
End If

Rem *** Get fraction ***
txt = CStr(valu)
i = InStr(txt, ".")
If i Then
Rem *** There are decimal places ***
dec = Val("0" & Mid(txt, i))
sixteenths = dec / 0.0625
End If

Rem *** Get fraction ***
Select Case sixteenths
Case 2
frac = "1/8"
Case 4
frac = "1/4"
Case 6
frac = "3/8"
Case 8
frac = "1/2"
Case 10
frac = "5/8"
Case 12
frac = "3/4"
Case 14
frac = "7/8"
Case Else
frac = CStr(sixteenths) & "\16"
End Select

Rem *** Compile answer ***
If feet Then
ans = CStr(feet) & "'-"
End If
If inches Then
ans = ans & CStr(inches) & "-"
End If
If Len(frac) Then
ans = ans & frac
End If

Rem *** Display answer ***
txtValu.Text = ans

VBClassicGuy

Oops, didn't format out right if there are no sixteenths. This is the final working code:
Dim valu As Single
Dim feet As Integer
Dim inches As Integer
Dim sixteenths As Integer
Dim txt As String
Dim dec As Single
Dim i As Integer
Dim ans As String

valu = 2.7

Rem *** Get feet ***
feet = valu \ 12

Rem Get inches ***
txt = Format$(valu - feet * 12, "0.0")
i = InStr(txt, ".")
If i Then
inches = Val(Left$(txt, i - 1))
End If

Rem *** Get fraction ***
txt = CStr(valu)
i = InStr(txt, ".")
If i Then
Rem *** There are decimal places ***
dec = Val("0" & Mid(txt, i))
sixteenths = dec / 0.0625
End If

Rem *** Get fraction ***
Select Case sixteenths
Case 0
frac = ""
Case 2
frac = "1/8"
Case 4
frac = "1/4"
Case 6
frac = "3/8"
Case 8
frac = "1/2"
Case 10
frac = "5/8"
Case 12
frac = "3/4"
Case 14
frac = "7/8"
Case Else
frac = CStr(sixteenths) & "\16"
End Select

Rem *** Compile answer ***
If feet Then
ans = CStr(feet) & "'-"
End If
If inches Then
ans = ans & CStr(inches)
End If
If Len(frac) Then
ans = ans & "-" & frac
End If

Rem *** Display answer ***
txtValu.Text = ans

joshld

ASKER

Sweet, I will try and implement that tomorrow.

joshld

ASKER

I got a question, what are the "$" for after the format and left functions? They are coming up with errors.

VBClassicGuy

Excuse me, I use VB6, where that is how the function is called. For .NET, I believe removing the $'s will make it work.

joshld

ASKER

Ok, I removed it but I still have an error that I cannot understand. Sorry. See if the attached image makes any sense.
untitled.bmp

VBClassicGuy

I have a solution, will post in about a hour when I get back from lunch.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

VBClassicGuy

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VBClassicGuy

Darn, screwed it up. I meant:
Same thing for Mid. Replace:
dec = Val("0" & Mid(txt, i))
with either:
s = "0" & Mid(txt, i)
or
s = "0" & txt.Substring(i)
then use:
dec = Val(s)

joshld

ASKER

ok, this is what I have so far. Only problem is that it is not displaying the inches, such as you input 38.658 and it returns 3'--11/16" when it should be 3'-2-11/16", any ideas? thanks for the help so far!

Dim s As String
        Dim valu As Single
        Dim feet As Integer
        Dim inches As Integer
        Dim sixteenths As Integer
        Dim txt As String
        Dim dec As Single
        Dim i As Integer
        Dim ans As String
        Dim frac As String

        valu = txtA.Text

        REM *** Get feet ***
        feet = valu \ 12

        REM Get inches ***
        txt = Format$(valu - feet * 12, "0.0")
        i = InStr(txt, ".")
        If i Then
            s = txt.Substring(1, i - 1)
            inches = Val(s)
        End If

        REM *** Get fraction ***
        txt = CStr(valu)
        i = InStr(txt, ".")
        If i Then
            REM *** There are decimal places ***
            dec = Val("0" & Mid(txt, i))
            sixteenths = dec / 0.0625
        End If

        REM *** Get fraction ***
        Select Case sixteenths
            Case 0
                frac = ""
            Case 2
                frac = "1/8"""
            Case 4
                frac = "1/4"""
            Case 6
                frac = "3/8"""
            Case 8
                frac = "1/2"""
            Case 10
                frac = "5/8"""
            Case 12
                frac = "3/4"""
            Case 14
                frac = "7/8"""
            Case Else
                frac = CStr(sixteenths) & "\16"""
        End Select

        REM *** Compile answer ***
        If feet Then
            ans = CStr(feet) & "'-"
        End If
        If inches Then
            ans = ans & CStr(inches)
        End If
        If Len(frac) Then
            ans = ans & "-" & frac
        End If

        REM *** Display answer ***
        MsgBox("Answer = " & ans)

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Harisha M G

       valu = txtA.Text

       inch = valu \ 1
       fract = valu - inch
       feet = valu \ 12
       inch = inch Mod 12
       fract = Round(fract * 12)

       Select Case fract
            Case 0
                frac = "-"
            Case 2
                frac = "-1/8"""
            Case 4
                frac = "-1/4"""
            Case 6
                frac = "-3/8"""
            Case 8
                frac = "-1/2"""
            Case 10
                frac = "-5/8"""
            Case 12
                frac = "-3/4"""
            Case 14
                frac = "-7/8"""
            Case Else
                frac = "-" & CStr(fract) & "/16"""
        End Select

        ans = feet & "-" & inch & frac

        MsgBox "Answer = " & ans

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SOLUTION

Harisha M G

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joshld

ASKER

Thanks, final code:

Dim valu As Single
Dim feet As Integer
Dim inch As Integer
Dim ans As String
Dim fract As String

valu = txtA.Text

inch = valu \ 1
fract = valu - inch
feet = valu \ 12
inch = inch Mod 12
fract = Math.Round(fract * 16)

Select Case fract
Case 0
fract = ""
Case 2
fract = "-1/8"""
Case 4
fract = "-1/4"""
Case 6
fract = "-3/8"""
Case 8
fract = "-1/2"""
Case 10
fract = "-5/8"""
Case 12
fract = "-3/4"""
Case 14
fract = "-7/8"""
Case Else
fract = "-" & CStr(fract) & "/16"""
End Select

ans = feet & "'-" & inch & fract

MsgBox("Answer = " & ans)