DMSList
✖
DMSList
Details

- DMSList["dms"] supports all common DMS string formats, with delimiters such as °, ', ", and d, m, s.
- DMSList[{d,m,s}] returns a canonicalized degrees-minutes-seconds list with minute and second values between 0 and 60.
- For a positive angle θ, DMSList[θ] returns a list of non-negative numbers. For a negative angle θ, DMSList[θ] returns a list of nonpositive numbers.
- For a negative angle θ, DMSList[θ] is equivalent to -DMSList[-θ].
Examples
open allclose allBasic Examples (4)Summary of the most common use cases
Convert an angle given in decimal degrees to {degree,minute,second}:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-5p7ist


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-fbkzb2

This canonicalizes a DMS list:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-e7fnxc

Return the DMS lists of latitude and longitude of a GeoPosition object:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-lcqmqv


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-mnethk

Scope (6)Survey of the scope of standard use cases
DMS list form of an angle given in decimal degrees:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-hdlx1

For exact inputs, the result is also a list of exact quantities:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-boz4vf


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-n6hd0j

DMS list of an angle given as a DMS string:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-d7c102

The input can be given in multiple forms:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-586eem


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-bsp5lo


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-pb7wn8


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-ekcbyy

Signs in a DMS string can be specified using "North", "West", etc. or abbreviations like "N", "W", etc.:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-m03mop


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-wewhae


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-j2ub4l

The sign of the angle can also be explicit in the string, and it applies to all elements:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-c1cr4f


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-cyv69w


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-8l8ipv

Canonical DMS list input is returned without change:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-ha3cx9

Degrees and minutes are always returned as exact numbers:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-thc7my

Canonicalize to a unique form:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-meehp9

An incomplete specification of a DMS string assumes zeros:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-yscfa4


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-t1rvm9


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-baqi4o

Return the array of pairs of DMS lists for the locations in a GeoPosition array:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-th5y55

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-syyrap


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-xcuuvd

Generalizations & Extensions (2)Generalized and extended use cases
Act on both angles of a double DMS string:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-inlc9j

The angles are returned in {lat,lon} form even if provided in reverse order:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-ipjj53

Specify explicitly the meaning of each angle:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-6hkefk


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-qd479x

Convert a Quantity angle into a DMS list:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-5tiur6

Properties & Relations (8)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions
For a positive angle θ, DMSList[θ] returns a list of non-negative numbers:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-cz2nup

For a negative angle θ, DMSList[θ] returns a list of non-positive numbers:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-nehzyj

All numeric angles θ obey the identity DMSList[-θ]-DMSList[θ]:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-tpl9h0

DMSList does not implement 360-degree periodicity:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-qw6o3b

If the input contains an inexact number, the result will be inexact, always in the seconds:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-jcqgrg


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-7t3kkx

Only when all numbers are exact will the result be exact:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-lc2c8t


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-ymn3bh

The action of DMSList on a numeric angle can be inverted with FromDMS:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-dd0rdy


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-gfdp9o


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-scxhsc


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-i9hz07

The action of DMSList on a DMS string angle can be inverted with DMSString:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-z91mnb


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-hvcth1


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-ip0kbu


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-trbp8d

DMS lists of numeric angles can also be computed with NumberDecompose:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-d64opu


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-tgjcgg

DMSList and NumberDecompose follow the same sign conventions:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-vfo1cp


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-6qsqea

DMS lists are equivalent to Quantity objects with degree-minute-second mixed units:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-nbbp21

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-fvv2s1

DMSList can extract the DMS list from the Quantity object:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-sdpied

The list can be used as mixed magnitude for the quantity:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0k7w9lvay-8tlv7h

Possible Issues (2)Common pitfalls and unexpected behavior
Wolfram Research (2008), DMSList, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DMSList.html (updated 2020).
Text
Wolfram Research (2008), DMSList, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DMSList.html (updated 2020).
Wolfram Research (2008), DMSList, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DMSList.html (updated 2020).
CMS
Wolfram Language. 2008. "DMSList." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2020. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DMSList.html.
Wolfram Language. 2008. "DMSList." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2020. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DMSList.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (2008). DMSList. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DMSList.html
Wolfram Language. (2008). DMSList. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DMSList.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_dmslist, author="Wolfram Research", title="{DMSList}", year="2020", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DMSList.html}", note=[Accessed: 31-May-2025
]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_dmslist, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={DMSList}, year={2020}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/DMSList.html}, note=[Accessed: 31-May-2025
]}