UnitsML

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UnitsML.org gets a full redesign ​

We've completely rebuilt unitsml.org to better serve the scientific units community. The new site features a modern design, interactive data browsing, and a clearer structure for learning about UnitsML.

What changed ​

Interactive UnitsDB ​

The headline feature is the new UnitsDB browser. Instead of downloading YAML files to explore the database, you can now search, filter, and browse all 716 entities — units, quantities, dimensions, prefixes, scales, and unit systems — directly in your browser.

Every entity has its own page with cross-linked references. Click a unit's dimension to jump to that dimension, then see all units sharing it. The browser supports:

  • Full-text search — find any entity by name, symbol, or identifier
  • Lazy-loaded data — each entity type loads on demand, so the page stays fast
  • Cross-linked entities — navigate between dimensions, quantities, units, and systems
  • Multilingual names — entities display names in multiple languages where available

Restructured content ​

We reorganized the site around how people actually use it:

  • Learn — guides for understanding what UnitsML is, how it works, and how to incorporate it into your work
  • UnitsDB — the interactive database browser, now a top-level section
  • Software — libraries like unitsml-ruby for programmatic access
  • Schemas — both the UnitsML XML Schemas and the UnitsDB YAML schemas, in a dedicated page

Site features ​

  • Site-wide search — full-text search across all pages, instantly accessible from any page
  • Dark mode — proper dark theme support throughout the entire site
  • Mobile-friendly — responsive layouts that work on phones and tablets
  • JSON API — programmatic access to UnitsDB data at /unitsdb/units.json, /unitsdb/quantities.json, and other endpoints
  • JSON-LD downloads — complete linked-data dataset at /unitsdb/unitsdb.jsonld

What's next ​

This redesign is just the beginning. Here's what we're working on:

  • More software libraries — expanding beyond Ruby with libraries for other languages
  • UnitsDB data expansion — more units, quantities, and dimensions as the database grows
  • Community contributions — opening up the database for community submissions
  • Enhanced schema tooling — better validation and documentation for both XML and YAML schemas

Get involved ​

UnitsML is developed under CalConnect TC UNITS. If you work with scientific data, measurement systems, or unit conversions, we'd love your input: