diff --git a/src/otko/views/formatting.py b/src/otko/views/formatting.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1123a08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/otko/views/formatting.py
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+# Ported from otko-development (MIT), (c) 2026 OTKO contributors
+"""Small presentation helpers shared by docks and dialogs.
+
+Keeps labels, unit hints and numeric parsing in one place so every surface
+names a field the same way and rejects bad input with the same message shape.
+Pure helpers only — no Qt imports live here.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from otko.core import UnitLabels, UnitSystem, labels_for
+
+__all__ = [
+    "DOF_LABELS",
+    "MASS_LABELS",
+    "RESTRAINT_LABELS",
+    "format_number",
+    "parse_float",
+    "parse_int",
+    "unit_label",
+]
+
+#: Six translational/rotational DOF labels, indexed 0-5.
+DOF_LABELS: tuple[str, ...] = ("Ux", "Uy", "Uz", "Rx", "Ry", "Rz")
+
+#: Six mass-component labels, indexed 0-5.
+MASS_LABELS: tuple[str, ...] = ("Mx", "My", "Mz", "Ixx", "Iyy", "Izz")
+
+#: Human-readable restraint component names (restraint + rotation).
+RESTRAINT_LABELS: tuple[str, ...] = (
+    "Ux",
+    "Uy",
+    "Uz",
+    "Rx",
+    "Ry",
+    "Rz",
+)
+
+#: Map a public quantity name to the :class:`UnitLabels` field that holds it.
+_QUANTITY_FIELDS: dict[str, str] = {
+    "length": "length",
+    "force": "force",
+    "moment": "moment",
+    "stress": "stress",
+    "curvature": "curvature",
+    "rotation": "rotation",
+}
+
+
+def format_number(value: float) -> str:
+    """Return a compact, round-trippable string for ``value``.
+
+    Integral floats lose the decimal point; everything else keeps up to six
+    significant digits so a round-trip through a table cell is exact enough
+    for engineering values.
+    """
+    if value == int(value):
+        return str(int(value))
+    return f"{value:.6g}"
+
+
+def parse_float(text: str, field: str, *, allow_empty: bool = False) -> float:
+    """Parse ``text`` as a float or raise ``ValueError`` naming ``field``.
+
+    An empty string is accepted when ``allow_empty`` is set and yields ``0.0``
+    so a blank optional cell is not treated as an error.
+    """
+    stripped = text.strip()
+    if not stripped:
+        if allow_empty:
+            return 0.0
+        raise ValueError(f"{field} is required")
+    try:
+        return float(stripped)
+    except ValueError:
+        raise ValueError(f"{field} must be a number, got {stripped!r}") from None
+
+
+def parse_int(text: str, field: str, *, allow_empty: bool = False) -> int:
+    """Parse ``text`` as an int or raise ``ValueError`` naming ``field``."""
+    value = parse_float(text, field, allow_empty=allow_empty)
+    if value != int(value):
+        raise ValueError(f"{field} must be a whole number, got {text.strip()!r}")
+    return int(value)
+
+
+def unit_label(quantity: str, system: UnitSystem) -> str:
+    """Return the display label for ``quantity`` in ``system``.
+
+    ``quantity`` is one of ``length``, ``force``, ``moment``, ``stress``,
+    ``curvature`` or ``rotation``; anything else raises ``ValueError``.
+    """
+    field = _QUANTITY_FIELDS.get(quantity)
+    if field is None:
+        raise ValueError(f"unknown unit quantity: {quantity!r}")
+    labels: UnitLabels = labels_for(system)
+    return getattr(labels, field)
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_formatting.py b/tests/unit/test_formatting.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bc1c6db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_formatting.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+"""Unit tests for :mod:`otko.views.formatting` (no Qt required)."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import pytest
+
+from otko.core import UnitSystem
+from otko.views.formatting import (
+    DOF_LABELS,
+    MASS_LABELS,
+    RESTRAINT_LABELS,
+    format_number,
+    parse_float,
+    parse_int,
+    unit_label,
+)
+
+
+def test_label_tuples() -> None:
+    assert DOF_LABELS == ("Ux", "Uy", "Uz", "Rx", "Ry", "Rz")
+    assert MASS_LABELS == ("Mx", "My", "Mz", "Ixx", "Iyy", "Izz")
+    assert RESTRAINT_LABELS == ("Ux", "Uy", "Uz", "Rx", "Ry", "Rz")
+
+
+def test_format_number() -> None:
+    assert format_number(50.0) == "50"
+    assert format_number(1.5) == "1.5"
+
+
+def test_parse_float_required() -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        parse_float("", "x")
+
+
+def test_parse_float_allow_empty() -> None:
+    assert parse_float("", "x", allow_empty=True) == 0.0
+
+
+def test_parse_int_rejects_fractional() -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        parse_int("1.5", "x")
+
+
+def test_unit_label() -> None:
+    assert unit_label("force", UnitSystem.SI_M_N) == "N"
+    assert unit_label("moment", UnitSystem.US_FT_KIP) == "kip·ft"
+
+
+def test_unit_label_unknown_quantity() -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        unit_label("temperature", UnitSystem.SI_M_N)