Provide new display format 'Automatic'

[Wolfgang]

Hello,

I miss a display format that will automatically switch from Floating Point to Scientific if the displayed number exceeds a certain threshold.

Lets say, 1 234 should be displayed as 1234, but 123 456 789 123 456 789 should be displayed as 1.2345 E17 because typically such a large number of digits is not meaningful. This display format is considered to be useful both for regular numeric controls but also for graphs, because right now very long numbers increase the frame size and decrease the remaining graph size. Of course, one could do this automatically, after plotting a new plot analyze the new plot for maxima and minima and then adjust the display format accordingly. What I suggest that this is done automatically, similar to the good old 'G' formatting option.

As a consequence, this new display format would require an additional attribute when to change from Floating Point to Scientific and vice verse, say NUMBER_OF_USEFUL_DIGITS. Default might be 6 digits.

I consider this wish important because right now, when plotting functions on a graph where the range is not known in advance, this may result in much too many displayed digits. Even 17 digits (resolution of double) will not be meaningful in most cases, while for numbers such as 12.5 there is no need to use an exponent...

Thanks a lot!