Formatting

We follow the same formats for text, time, dates, and numbers across all services.

The formats should change according to the language selected by the user.

In TypeScript, using Intl.NumberFormat and Intl.DateTimeFormat with the selected language/locale will fix all this automatically for you. See developer formatting page for more information on how to implement this in code.

You can also use the Bifrost component <FormatDate>, which can include a tooltip on hover, with the option to display, among other things, the time in the user’s timezone.

English Text

All English text is written in American English:

Time & Dates

Time

We write time using four digits separated by a colon, regardless of language:

Time Ranges

When indicating a time range, use an en dash (–) between the two times, without spaces:

Dates

The formatting of dates depends on the selected language:

Friendly or Relative Time

In some contexts, it is more user-friendly to display relative time instead of the exact time or date—for example, showing how long ago something happened.

This is often referred to as friendly time or human-readable time.

Examples:

• Two minutes ago
• Yesterday
• Three weeks ago

Friendly time improves readability and helps users quickly understand recency without interpreting specific timestamps.

It is particularly useful in activity feeds, notifications, and status updates.

When precision is important (for example in logs or schedules), use the exact time or date instead.
If both clarity and recency are relevant, you can combine them—for instance, display the relative time with a tooltip showing the exact timestamp on hover.

Numbers and Digits

Small Numbers

Ideally, you should write small numbers differently depending on context.

For inline Norwegian text, all numbers up to and including twelve (10 in English) should be written as words. From 13 and above (9 and below in English), numbers are written as digits.

It's not always straightforward to use words instead of digits. Use common sense and choose the most readable format.

Note: Always avoid using plural words when the number is one (e.g., "one tickets", "1 users" etc.).

Digits in Dashboards and Tables

In dashboards and tables, we always write numbers as digits, starting from 1.

Examples:

• 1 access point
• 10 users

Large Numbers

The formatting of large numbers follows the selected language: