If you can set your keyboard up to the UK English (and get the £ symbol by pressing <SHIFT>3), you should be able to get the "µ" symbol on the German keyboard - I don't remember its exact position, but I noted its existence when working in Germany a few years ago.
-----Original Message----- From: owner-u...@colostate.edu [mailto:owner-u...@colostate.edu] On Behalf Of James R. Frysinger Sent: 24 December 2010 14:48 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:49275] RE: USDA National Nutrient Database On its website, the USDA can use the HTML entity µ or µ to make that symbol. I am confident that the USDA can handle that. I have not tried this, but M$ Windows allows one to redesignate their keyboard into various languages. I can set mine up to be English, Greek, German, Spanish, etc. Whether this provides the full-blown equivalent, including symbols, is still a question in my mind. Regardless, I can change keyboard languages character by character if I care to. Jim On 2010-12-24 0807, Martin Vlietstra wrote: > If you want to write "µ", you have a number of choices: > 1) Get a German keyboard (not always easy in the US or the UK) > 2) Type Alt-0181 when using Windows. > 3) Go into your favourite word processor and cut-and-paste "µ" from it. > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-u...@colostate.edu [mailto:owner-u...@colostate.edu] On Behalf Of > James R. Frysinger > Sent: 23 December 2010 23:51 > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:49267] USDA National Nutrient Database > > That's a pretty nifty website that was presented on the USMA mail list. > I knew of its predecessor SR-22 (?) when it comprised only a > downloadable database and one had to use M$ Access to use it. It's a > pleasure to see it in a more user-friendly form now at > http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/cgi-bin/measure.pl > Years ago, my Registered Dietitian wife and I used Handbook 8. We've > come a long way! > > Now, if we could just get them to use the correct symbol for micrograms! > Ironically, in Appendix B (p 72) of the documentation > http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR23/sr23_doc.pdf > both μg and mcg are shown -- in that order. Further, μg is used > throughout their text in that documentation and mcg is used only in one > field name. But in using the GUIed website, I saw mcg used in the Units > column -- no μg. > > Also, I could find no description in the documentation or the GUIed > website as to what was meant by "cup" and "teaspoon". The FDA uses the > definition of a teaspoon (tsp) as 5 mL. The traditional teaspoon (in the > U.S.) is 1/3 of a tablespoon or 1/6 of a fluid ounce, making it 1/48 of > a cup. Using the data for sugar (4.2 g/tsp, 200 g/cup) it appears that > this system uses the 5 mL teaspoon but the true definition of a liquid > cup: 1/4 quart or (0.946352/4) L. That would mean that this system uses > liquid measures throughout, even for dry products. The latter of course, > are traditionally measured in dry quarts, pecks, and bushels -- > especially for produce (fruits and vegetables). Of course, Americans, > who tend to measure recipe ingredients by volume instead of by mass, use > only one set of measuring cups in the kitchen. And those probably are > liquid cups. > > Jim > > On 2010-12-23 1615, a-bruie...@lycos.com wrote: >> Sorry, try again. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ >> Search -sugar in sweets foodgroup -then granulated sugar, one American >> teaspoon is 4.2 g According to USDA National Nutrient Database. > .... > > -- James R. Frysinger 632 Stony Point Mountain Road Doyle, TN 38559-3030 (C) 931.212.0267 (H) 931.657.3107 (F) 931.657.3108
