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The title on HN includes „€1“, the original uses the „1€“ (which makes more sense I think, even when considering the reference to $1).
by echoangle 2y ago
The title on HN includes „€1“, the original uses the „1€“ (which makes more sense I think, even when considering the reference to $1).
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- notpushkin 2y agoEuro sign can be used before the amount, depending on the language and local norms, although I’ve seen it mostly after, separated by a space (150 €).
- locallost 2y agoIn English the currency symbol is typically before the number, whereas especially in Europe (with exceptions e.g. Switzerland) it is typically after the number. The title here is kind of correct in English I'd say, but the author is Dutch who happens to write in English.
- Leif24 2y agoAt least with American currency it varies, e.g. one dollar is $1 while one penny is 1¢.
- tristor 2y agoThis actually is useful, because it allows the symbols to visual indicators when reading currency figures and can be used in a programmatic way. $ becomes a start marker for the beginning of a currency figure where the most significant digit is immediately after the marker and anything remaining after flows from that, and the same is true for cents where the symbol acts as an end marker and infers a lower bound. They can almost be thought of as start and end markers in regex, although they are not used together so not exactly that way. It makes a sort of rational sense, at least to me.
- dmonitor 2y agoThe rationale I've always heard for having the $ at the beginning of the number was so that a handwritten value on, say, a check couldn't be modified by sticking a number at the beginning. 1.00$ could be forged into 91.00$, but not so with $1.00.
- tristor 2y agoThat rationale makes sense, and pretty much aligns with what I mean by a visual marker.
- agmater 2y agoIn Dutch the currency symbol always comes before the number as well, so this is intentional of the author.
- locallost 2y agoExcept he wrote in English, not Dutch :-)
- echoangle 2y agoInteresting, I knew that it was written $1 for dollar but thought it depends on the currency, not the language.
- locallost 2y agoMy best answer is it depends on the language and country. E.g. Germans will write it after the number, whereas Swiss, who also officially speak German, will write it before the number. And yes, I needed to display some prices on a page recently, that had versions for Germany and Switzerland :-).
- sigio 2y agoIn the before-times (before the euro), we dutch used to write fl123,45 So putting the euro symbol in front comes naturally.
- locallost 2y agoI wonder if it's because of the proximity to the UK, and that it influenced the choice of where to put it.
- blainelewis1 2y agoDan was my masters advisor and he’s Canadian, they used the French “spelling” because it’s a French paper.
- wiether 2y agoThe original algorithm[1] comes from people working at a French university. In France we put the currency directly after the amount, without space : 1€. [1]: https://gery.casiez.net/1euro/ https://gery.casiez.net/1euro/
- dsego 2y agoIt was moderated I think, the year 2020 was added as well.