observablehq / observablehq/plot

Format tip pair as a single value when the two values are equal?

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#2,135 2 comments 0 reactions 1 assignee View on GitHub

@Fil is already working on this.

Since Aug 15, 2024.

enhancement
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HTML
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Description

By default when formatting pairs (y1, y2), we display ${format(a)}—${format(b)}. It does not feel terribly useful to repeat the value when a and b end up being formatted identically.

If for example you're showing a tip on an interval that is [3.1—3.2] with an integer format, showing "3" (read as "somewhere around 3 something") is as informative and slightly better than "3—3" ("between 3 something and 3 something").

This does not happen often, since hopefully the format discriminates between values, but when it happens we would be as happy with showing ${format(a)} alone.

I tried to think of a case where on the opposite, one might want to show a repetition; for example on a calendar where you want to show an interval that goes "from Sunday to Sunday", as "Sun—Sun". In that case, you would have to create a specific channel since the automatic tip format would now show "Sun" only.

This enhancement would incidentally help with the waffle tips (#2132), but is not necessary for them, and should be discussed on its own merits.

(Note: does not apply when the value is the difference — i.e. hint: {length: true}).

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