[11.x] Add a new Number::scientific() method to format numbers in E-notation

[waadmawlood]

Add scientific notation formatting to the Number class

This PR adds a new scientific() method to the Number class that formats numbers in scientific notation using PHP's Intl extension.

The new method allows formatting numbers in E-notation with configurable precision and locale support. For example:

// Syntax
scientific(int|float $number, int $exponent = null, int $precision = 2, ?string $locale = null)

Number::scientific(12.34); // "1.23E1"
Number::scientific(12.34, exponent: 2); // "0.12E2"
Number::scientific(1234567); // "1.23E6"
Number::scientific(1234567, exponent: 5); // "12.35E5"
Number::scientific(0.00123); // "1.23E-3"
Number::scientific(0.00823, exponent: -3); // "8.23E-3'"
Number::scientific(12.34, precision: 4); // "1.234E1"
Number::scientific(12.34, precision: 2, locale: 'fr'); // "1,23E1"

Number::scientific(-12.34)); // "-1.23E1"
Number::scientific(-1, exponent: -1); // "-10E-1"

Number::scientific(INF) // "∞"
Number::scientific(NAN)); // "NaN"
Number::scientific(NAN, locale: 'fr')); // "NaN"
Number::scientific(NAN, locale: 'ru')); // "не число"
Number::scientific(NAN, locale: 'ar')); // "ليس رقمًا"

Key features:

• Supports positive and negative numbers
• Locale-aware formatting
• Handles special values (INF, NAN)
• Requires the PHP Intl extension

This addition complements the existing number formatting capabilities in Laravel's Number class by providing scientific notation support for working with very large or small numbers in a standardized way.

[shaedrich]

How about adding an exponent:

Number::scientific(1234567); // "1.23E6"
Number::scientific(1234567, exponent: 5); // "12.3E5"

[waadmawlood]

How about adding an exponent:

Number::scientific(1234567); // "1.23E6"
Number::scientific(1234567, exponent: 5); // "12.3E5"

Thanks for the suggestion!

I'm not sure if the logic is correct or not because the method is formatting not converting.
I think the correct thing is to convert the number to the exponent you want to format and then formatting the new number.
In the method, it has the precision of number.

// syntax
scientific(int|float $number, int $precision = 2, ?string $locale = null)

But if this was necessary, so we could be added it later.

[shaedrich]

How is this formatting if you randomly choose the exponent with no way to change that. The exponent is chosen either way, the only difference being that I proposed to make it customizable.

Both 1.23E6 and 12.3E5 represent the same number.

When you choose to randomly select an exponent, then you could take the exponent that doesn't cut off numbers with the given precision as 1.23E6 converts back to 1230000, not 1234567.

[waadmawlood]

Thanks for the clarification, I understood your point exactly and it is indeed correct.

[shaedrich]

Next thing to keep in mind is that "scientific notation" can stand for different notations:

• scientific notation (yeah, confusing)
• normalized form (exponent between 1 and 10)
• e notation (hence the E)
• engineering notation (confusing again, I know) (divisible by three to match SI units (1000))

I came up with the same feature a while ago and didn't have the time to finish it yet. Might be helpful to you:
https://github.com/laravel/framework/compare/11.x...shaedrich:framework:codespace-legendary-garbanzo-pjr5v5w75v535qv?expand=1

[waadmawlood]

@shaedrich I improved code and raised again. last commit 885a879 4ba5350

[shaedrich]

@waadmawlood Your variable wording is definitely better than mine—one never stops learning 😅👍🏻