Project numeric precision
Introduction
Numeric precision affects the number of decimal places which are stored for numeric project and card property values in Mingle. It also sets the limit on precision for any calculated values such as aggregate or formula properties.
How it works
Let us assume a project precision of 2
Managed Lists
When a user enters a first value of 1.0,
- Mingle will store the value as 1.0 in the database
- Mingle will show 1.0 on all cards/reports/charts
- a new value, of 1.00 or 1 cannot be entered. Mingle would perform a lookup, and treat this as being the same as 1.0
When a user enters a first value of 1.000
- Mingle will store the value as 1.00 in the database
- Mingle will show 1.00 on all cards/reports/charts
- a new value, of 1.001 or 1 cannot be entered. Mingle would perform a lookup, and treat this as being the same as 1.00
This is all driven from a desire to surprise the user the least when doing aggregations and calculating formulae.
Unmanaged Lists
When a user enters a first value of 1.0
- Mingle will store the value of 1.0 in the database
- Mingle will show 1.0 on all cards/reports/charts
- a new value, of 1.00 or 1 can be entered. Mingle would group them in charts/tables and treat them the same as 1.00
When a user enters a first value of 1.001
- Mingle will store the value as 1.00 in the database
- Mingle will show 1.00 on all cards/reports/charts
- a new value, of 1.000 or 1.0 can be entered. Mingle would group them in charts/tables and treat them the same as 1.00
This allows us to get equivalence of values for reporting purposes, while still preventing nasty surprises from cropping up in aggregated/calculated values. Which is the same motivation as above.
Formulae/Aggregated values
When a formula value is calculated, to 8.1 say
- Mingle will store the value as 8.10 in the database
- Mingle will show a value of 8.1 on all cards/reports/charts
- aggregating this value on 100 cards, would create an aggregate value of 810
When a formula value is calculated to be 8.129, say
- Mingle will store the value as 8.13 in the database
- Mingle will show as value of 8.13 on all cards/reports/charts
- aggregating this value on 100 cards, would create an aggregate value of 813
Setting numeric precision
Numeric precision is set by the Mingle Administrator when the project is initially created. It's one of the advanced settings on the Project settings page.
Modifying numeric precision
This value determines the precision with which your numeric properties are stored and formula properties are calculated. Decreasing this value could change existing data, permanently losing precision from any numeric values which are stored with greater than the new number of decimal places.
How to modify numeric precision
- Sign in to Mingle and open the project (if you're not currently working in the project).
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Click the Project admin tab.
Mingle displays the Project settings page.
if you are logged in as a project team member, Mingle displays the Team page.
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Click on the Advanced options link
Mingle displays the advanced options fields, including the Numeric precision field with the current precision value displayed.
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Change the numeric precision value as required.
The effects of reducing numeric precision are not recoverable.
- Click on the Save link to save your work.
Consequences of reducing numeric precision
Reducing project precision to 1
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if there are two values of 0.99 and 1.01 for a managed list in the database
- both values will be deleted
- a new value of 1.0 will be created
- all existing views and transitions that used either of the old values will be changed to point to the new value
- all existing history subscriptions that used either of the old values will be changed to point to the new values
- all charts and pivots that previously showed two column/bars/pie-sectors will now show one
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if there are two values of 0.99 and 1.01 for an unmanaged list in the database
- all cards that use either of those values will be changed to use a new value of 1.0
- since Mingle cannot use unmanaged lists to create views/history subscriptions, there is nothing to be done with them
- all existing transitions that used the old value will be changed to use the new value of 1.0
- all charts and pivots that previously showed two column/bars/pie-sectors will now show one
- adding new value of 1 for the managed value will not be allowed. Mingle will look up the existing 1.0, and treat the new value as being the same
- adding new value of 1 for the unmanaged value will be allowed. Mingle would group it along with 1.0 in charts/tables
- all calculated values of 8.03 will be changed to be 8.0 in the database, but still display as 8 everywhere.
- an aggregation of 100 cards with this calculated value would be 800
Consequences of increasing numeric precision
Increasing numeric precision will not lose any project data
Increasing project precision to 3
- an existing value of 1.0 for a managed value in the database will be retained.
- adding new value of 1.000 for the managed value will not be allowed. Mingle will look up the existing 1.0, and treat the new value as being the same
- an existing value of 1.0 for an unmanaged value in the database will be retained.
- adding new value of 1.000 for the unmanaged value will be allowed. Mingle would group them in charts/tables and treat them the same as 1.000
- if a new value of 1.000 is not added to the unmanaged list, Mingle would display the chart and table labels as being the value with the highest precision less than 3.
- all cards/charts/reports still show the same values as before.
- all calculated values of 8.10 will be changed to be 8.100 in the database, but still display as 8.1 everywhere.
- an aggregation of 100 cards with this calculated value would be 810
- all transitions and views that used this old value of either 1.0 or 8.10 will all be retained.