Use numerals for time measurements (EK00055)
Numerals for durations like 5 minutes keep documentation quick to scan. Learn how to format time measurements consistently.
A duration written as a numeral, such as 5 minutes, lets readers spot the value quickly and stays consistent across your documentation. EkLine flags a duration written as a spelled-out number (rule EK00055) and suggests a numeral instead.
How do you format time measurements in documentation?
Section titled “How do you format time measurements in documentation?”Durations appear often in setup steps, timeouts, and troubleshooting notes, where readers scan for the number quickly. A spelled-out value like five minutes slows that scan and looks inconsistent next to a numeral like 5 minutes elsewhere. Numerals for time measurements keep durations easy to spot and uniform across your content.
What EkLine flags
Section titled “What EkLine flags”EK00055 matches a duration written as a spelled-out number — for units such as seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years — and suggests a numeral.
- ❌ Incorrect: The request times out after five minutes.
- ✅ Correct: The request times out after 5 minutes.
- ❌ Incorrect: The job runs for two hours.
- ✅ Correct: The job runs for 2 hours.
How to fix
Section titled “How to fix”Replace the spelled-out number with a numeral before the time unit, such as 5 minutes or 2 hours.
How do you write a duration?
Section titled “How do you write a duration?”Use a numeral before the time unit, such as 5 minutes or 2 hours, rather than spelling the number out.
When should you spell out a number instead?
Section titled “When should you spell out a number instead?”Keep a spelled-out value when you quote source text verbatim. Everywhere else, a numeral keeps durations consistent.
Rule details
Section titled “Rule details”| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Rule ID | EK00055 |
| Category | Consistency |
| Default severity | Warning |
| Enabled by default | No |
Ignore this rule
Section titled “Ignore this rule”To keep a spelled-out duration on one line, add an inline comment with a reason:
<!-- ekline-ignore-next-line EK00055 -- quoted from the source text -->The policy grants "thirty days" to respond.To disable the rule across your project, add it to the ignore list in your configuration file.