Cast Methods
Converts data types in Latitude logic blocks, ensuring that SQL operations are performed with the correct data type.
Introduction
The cast
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 named limit
, 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:
This is because, with 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:
This way, if 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 the cast
method. The following are the accepted types for casting:
string
ortext
: Converts the value to a string. Bothstring
andtext
perform the same function.int
: Converts the value to an integer.float
ornumber
: Converts the value to a floating-point number. Bothfloat
andnumber
are treated similarly.bool
orboolean
: Converts the value to a boolean. Bothbool
andboolean
are interchangeable and perform the same function.date
: Converts the value to a date.