Add or Edit a Custom Unit of Measure
This page is used both to create a new custom unit of measure and to edit an existing one, depending on whether you arrived from New Unit of Measure or from a unit's Edit button.
Unit Details
Enter or update the following fields, then click Save. Saving returns you to the unit's details page. Cancel discards your changes.
- Singular — the unit's name in singular form (e.g. "case"). This field is required.
- Plural — the unit's name in plural form (e.g. "cases").
- Abbreviation — a short abbreviation for the unit (e.g. "cs").
- Base Units — the general type of measurement this unit is based on. Choose one of Unitless (Count), Length, Area, Volume, Weight, or Time. This choice also determines whether the unit reads with "per": unitless (count) units are shown without it (a "dozen", not "per dozen"), while every other type reads with "per" (for example "per case", "per kg").
- Normalization Factor — the conversion factor between this custom unit and its base units, used to convert quantities expressed in this unit to and from the base unit.
Tip: The Base Units dropdown groups units into the main measurement types Backbone
understands, rather than requiring you to type an exact unit code. Pick Unitless
(Count) for items counted individually (like pieces or cases), or the physical dimension
that matches your custom unit (for example, choose Volume for a custom unit like
"drum" that measures liquid volume).
Archiving a Custom Unit of Measure
When editing an existing unit, an Archive Unit of Measure button is available. This permanently archives the unit and returns you to the Custom Units of Measure list. The option is not shown when creating a new unit.