niceUnits.js

function niceUnits(tspEquiv){
    var tblspEquiv;
    if(tspEquiv < 3){ return tspEquiv + " teaspoon" + plural(tspEquiv);}
    else{
      tblspEquiv = parseFloat(tspEquiv)/3.0;
      if (tblspEquiv < 4){
        var remainder = (tspEquiv%3 == 0) ? "" : " and " + niceUnits(tspEquiv%3)
        return Math.floor(tblspEquiv) + " tablespoon" + plural(Math.floor(tblspEquiv)) + remainder;
      } else{ 
        cupEquiv = parseFloat(tblspEquiv/16.0);
      }
      if((cupEquiv * 4)%1==0){
        var base = (Math.floor(cupEquiv) == 0) ? "" : Math.floor(cupEquiv);
        var remainder;
        switch(cupEquiv - base){
          case .25:
            remainder = '\u00BC';
            break;
          case .5:
            remainder = '\u00BD';
            break;
          case .75:
            remainder = '\u00BE';
            break;
          case 0:
            remainder = "";
            break;
        }
        return base + remainder + " cup" + plural(cupEquiv)
      }
      else if((cupEquiv * 3)%1==0){
        var base = (Math.floor(cupEquiv) == 0) ? "" : Math.floor(cupEquiv);
        var remainder = (cupEquiv - base < .4) ? '\u2153' : '\u2154'; //unicode 1/3 and 2/3, respectively
        return base + remainder + " cup" + plural(cupEquiv)
      } else{
        var quarterRemainder = niceUnits(tspEquiv%12)
        var thirdRemainder = (tspEquiv%16 < 16 && tspEquiv%16 > 12) ? "and" : niceUnits(tspEquiv%16)

        if(quarterRemainder.indexOf("and") != -1 && thirdRemainder.indexOf("and") == -1){
          return niceUnits(tspEquiv - tspEquiv%16) + " and " + thirdRemainder;
        }
        else if(quarterRemainder.indexOf("and") == -1 && thirdRemainder.indexOf("and") != -1){
          return niceUnits(tspEquiv - tspEquiv%12) + " and " + quarterRemainder;
        } else{
          return niceUnits(tspEquiv - tspEquiv%12) + " and " + quarterRemainder;
        }
      }
    }

    function plural(unit){
      if (unit == 1 || unit < 1) {return ""}
      else{ return "s"}
    }