Temperature Conversion Tool

This tool is a Rust-based command-line application that allows for conversion between various temperature units. It utilizes a graph-based approach to manage unit conversions, supporting both direct and intermediate conversions.

Installation

To install and run this tool, follow these steps:

1. Clone the Repository (if applicable):

git clone https://github.com/ShoggyR79/RustConversionWiz.git
cd temperature-conversion

2. Build the Project:

cargo build --release

3. Place/Modify data.json file in ./conversion_wiz
4. Run the Application:

cargo run --release

5. Alternatively: you can specify custom json input file

./target/release/conversion_wiz.exe -c <json file>

Understanding Key Concepts

Units

Units in this context refer to measurement standards for temperature. Common examples include Celsius (°C), Fahrenheit (°F), and Kelvin (K). Each unit has a name and potentially multiple aliases for ease of use.

Conversion Scale

The conversion scale represents the factor by which a value in one unit is multiplied to convert it to another unit. For instance, converting meters to kilometers involves multiplying by a scale factor of 0.001.

Conversion Offset

The conversion offset is an additional value added or subtracted after applying the scale factor during unit conversion. This is commonly used when the conversion isn't a simple scale transformation. For example, Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion involves an offset of 32 after scaling.

Note: factors are to be represented in f64

JSON Configuration Format

The tool requires a JSON configuration file that defines units and their conversions. Here's the format for the JSON file:

{
 "units": [
     {
         "name": "unit_name",
         "aliases": ["alias1", "alias2"]
     },
     // ... other units ...
 ],
 "conversions_scale": [
     {
         "from": "unit1",
         "to": "unit2",
         "factor": scale_factor
     },
     // ... other scale-based conversions ...
 ],
 "conversions_offset": [
     {
         "from": "unit1",
         "to": "unit2",
         "offset": offset_value
     },
     // ... other offset-based conversions ...
 ]
}

Note: a sample json file is provided to you at /conversion_wiz/data.json

Tips for Intermediate Conversion

For complex conversions that cannot be expressed through a single scale or offset, such as Celsius to Fahrenheit or Kelvin to Farenheight, intermediate units must be used.

For example, to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit F = (1.8 * C) + 32:

1. Convert Celsius to C1: multiply C by 1.8.

2. Convert C1 to F: add 32 to C1.

This means that there will be 3 units and 2 total edge from C <-> F This multi-step conversion ensures accuracy and flexibility in unit conversions and also enforce order of operations.

More Info

Run cargo doc --open to view the complete documentation of the module"# RustConversionWiz"