Introduction
Thecast method allows you to convert values to a different type in your query logic enclosed in { }. Cast ensures that the data types of variables are suitable for the operations you wish to perform.
Example
Consider a scenario where you have a parameter namedlimit, but the user has provided a value as a string, "3", instead of a numeric value. To correctly perform a comparison operation, you need the value to be of a numeric type.
Without casting, the comparison in the following block would not work as expected:
limit = "3", you’re comparing the string "3" to the number 5, which leads to an incorrect comparison.
Solution: Using cast
To resolve this, you can use the cast function to convert limit to an integer:
limit is "3", it gets converted to the numeric value 3 before the comparison, ensuring the operation is correctly performed.
Accepted Casting Types
You can cast values to various types using thecast method. The following are the accepted types for casting:
stringortext: Converts the value to a string. Bothstringandtextperform the same function.int: Converts the value to an integer.floatornumber: Converts the value to a floating-point number. Bothfloatandnumberare treated similarly.boolorboolean: Converts the value to a boolean. Bothboolandbooleanare interchangeable and perform the same function.date: Converts the value to a date.