You can insert the result of the previous conversion using the underscore (‘_’). It is useful when you want to convert the same input to several different units, for example
You have: 2.3 tonrefrigeration
You want: btu/hr
* 27600
/ 3.6231884e-005
You have: _
You want: kW
* 8.0887615
/ 0.12362832
Suppose you want to do some deep frying that requires an oil depth of 2 inches. You have 1/2 gallon of oil, and want to know the largest-diameter pan that will maintain the required depth. The nonlinear unit ‘circlearea’ gives the radius of the circle (see Other Nonlinear Units, for a more detailed description) in SI units; you want the diameter in inches:
You have: 1|2 gallon / 2 in
You want: circlearea
0.10890173 m
You have: 2 _
You want: in
* 8.5749393
/ 0.1166189
In most cases, surrounding white space is optional, so the previous example could have used ‘2_’. If ‘_’ follows a non-numerical unit symbol, however, the space is required:
You have: m_
^
Parse error
When ‘_’ is followed by a digit, the operation is multiplication rather than exponentiation, so that ‘_2’, is equivalent to ‘_ * 2’ rather than ‘_^2’.
You can use the ‘_’ symbol any number of times; for example,
You have: m
You want:
Definition: 1 m
You have: _ _
You want:
Definition: 1 m^2
Using ‘_’ before a conversion has been performed (e.g., immediately after invocation) generates an error:
You have: _
^
No previous result; '_' not set
Accordingly, ‘_’ serves no purpose when units is invoked non-interactively.
If units is invoked with the --verbose option (see Invoking Units), the value of ‘_’ is not expanded:
You have: mile
You want: ft
mile = 5280 ft
mile = (1 / 0.00018939394) ft
You have: _
You want: m
_ = 1609.344 m
_ = (1 / 0.00062137119) m
You can give ‘_’ at the ‘You want:’ prompt, but it usually is not very useful.