Description
Join two range endpoints using an en dash or the word to.
Scientific and financial text formatting separates literal representation from numerical interpretation. A range dash differs from a minus sign, an explicit plus differs from rounding, and asymmetric uncertainty labels need their original units and statistical meaning. Preserving text does not validate the underlying measurement or amount.
Join two range endpoints using an en dash or the word to.
When to use this tool
Use Range Dash Versus Minus Sign when checking the stated literal range, sign, uncertainty or symbol-placement convention.
How to use the tool and how it works
- Enter startText, endText, useEnDash. Use the units and conventions below.
- Run the tool. Correct any format, range, or cross-field input error before interpreting the output.
- Read formattedRange. Use the output convention below.
Require nonempty start/end texts. Join them with an en dash when useEnDash=true, otherwise with the text separator " to ".1
| Input field | Meaning and units | Accepted input |
|---|---|---|
| startText | Start Text | Required. Text; minimum UTF-16 length 1; maximum UTF-16 length 8192. |
| endText | End Text | Required. Text; minimum UTF-16 length 1; maximum UTF-16 length 8192. |
| useEnDash | Use En Dash | Required. Boolean. |
| Output field | Interpretation | Returned shape |
|---|---|---|
| formattedRange | Formatted Range | Required. Text; maximum UTF-16 length 8192. |
{
"input": {
"startText": "−5",
"endText": "−2",
"useEnDash": true
},
"output": {
"formattedRange": "−5–−2"
}
}Limitations and assumptions
- Endpoints are not parsed or ordered; an en dash is a range separator rather than an arithmetic minus sign.
- Inputs must satisfy both the field types and the cross-field conditions above. Invalid input causes an error; a successful false flag or documented placeholder is a different result.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Use a complete unit/statistical or locale-aware formatting workflow when validating numbers, uncertainty, currency identity and reporting conventions.
References
Similar or alternative tools
- Decimal Leading Plus Sign Policy
Apply a leading-plus policy to a restricted decimal string without numerical rounding.
- European Bilingual Title Separator
Join two supplied title transcriptions with an explicit bilingual separator.