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JavaScript Type Conversion
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Converting Strings to Numbers
Converting Numbers to Strings
Converting Dates to Numbers
Converting Numbers to Dates
Converting Booleans to Numbers
Converting Numbers to Booleans
JavaScript Type Conversion
JavaScript variables can be converted to a new variable and another data type:
By the use of a JavaScript function
Automatically by JavaScript itself
Converting Strings to Numbers
The global method Number() can convert strings to numbers.
Strings containing numbers (like "3.14") convert to numbers (like 3.14).
Empty strings convert to 0.
Anything else converts to NaN (Not a Number).
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Number("3.14") // returns 3.14
Number(" ") // returns 0
Number("") // returns 0
Number("99 88") // returns NaN
Number Methods
In the chapter Number Methods, you will find more methods that can be used to
convert strings to numbers:
Method Description
Number() Returns a number, converted from its argument
parseFloat() Parses a string and returns a floating point number
parseInt() Parses a string and returns an integer
The Unary + Operator
The unary + operator can be used to convert a variable to a number:
Example
let y = "5"; // y is a string
let x = + y; // x is a number
Try it Yourself »
If the variable cannot be converted, it will still become a number, but with the value
NaN (Not a Number):
Example
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lety = "John";
HTML // y is a string
CSS
let x = + y; // x is a number (NaN)
Try it Yourself »
Converting Numbers to Strings
The global method String() can convert numbers to strings.
It can be used on any type of numbers, literals, variables, or expressions:
Example
String(x) // returns a string from a number variable x
String(123) // returns a string from a number literal 123
String(100 + 23) // returns a string from a number from an expression
Try it Yourself »
The Number method toString() does the same.
Example
[Link]()
(123).toString()
(100 + 23).toString()
Try it Yourself »
More Methods
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In the chapter Number Methods, you will find more methods that can be used to
convert HTML
numbers CSS
to strings:
Method Description
toExponential() Returns a string, with a number rounded and written using
exponential notation.
toFixed() Returns a string, with a number rounded and written with a
specified number of decimals.
toPrecision() Returns a string, with a number written with a specified
length
Converting Dates to Numbers
The global method Number() can be used to convert dates to numbers.
d = new Date();
Number(d) // returns 1404568027739
The date method getTime() does the same.
d = new Date();
[Link]() // returns 1404568027739
Converting Dates to Strings
The global method String() can convert dates to strings.
String(Date()) // returns "Thu Jul 17 2014 15:38:19 GMT+0200 (W. Europe
Daylight Time)"
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The Date method toString() does the same.
HTML CSS
Example
Date().toString() // returns "Thu Jul 17 2014 15:38:19 GMT+0200 (W. Europe
Daylight Time)"
In the chapter Date Methods, you will find more methods that can be used to convert
dates to strings:
Method Description
getDate() Get the day as a number (1-31)
getDay() Get the weekday a number (0-6)
getFullYear() Get the four digit year (yyyy)
getHours() Get the hour (0-23)
getMilliseconds() Get the milliseconds (0-999)
getMinutes() Get the minutes (0-59)
getMonth() Get the month (0-11)
getSeconds() Get the seconds (0-59)
getTime() Get the time (milliseconds since January 1, 1970)
Converting Booleans to Numbers
The global method Number() can also convert booleans to numbers.
Number(false) // returns 0
Number(true) // returns 1
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Converting
HTML
Booleans
CSS
to Strings
The global method String() can convert booleans to strings.
String(false) // returns "false"
String(true) // returns "true"
The Boolean method toString() does the same.
[Link]() // returns "false"
[Link]() // returns "true"
Automatic Type Conversion
When JavaScript tries to operate on a "wrong" data type, it will try to convert the
value to a "right" type.
The result is not always what you expect:
5 + null // returns 5 because null is converted to 0
"5" + null // returns "5null" because null is converted to "null"
"5" + 2 // returns "52" because 2 is converted to "2"
"5" - 2 // returns 3 because "5" is converted to 5
"5" * "2" // returns 10 because "5" and "2" are converted to 5 and
2
Try it Yourself »
Automatic String Conversion
JavaScript automatically calls the variable's toString() function when you try to
"output" an object or a variable:
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[Link]("demo").innerHTML = myVar;
// if myVar = {name:"Fjohn"} // toString converts to "[object Object]"
// if myVar = [1,2,3,4] // toString converts to "1,2,3,4"
// if myVar = new Date() // toString converts to "Fri Jul 18 2014
09:08:55 GMT+0200"
Numbers and booleans are also converted, but this is not very visible:
// if myVar = 123 // toString converts to "123"
// if myVar = true // toString converts to "true"
// if myVar = false // toString converts to "false"
JavaScript Type Conversion Table
This table shows the result of converting different JavaScript values to Number,
String, and Boolean:
Original Converted Converted Converted Try it
Value to Number to String to Boolean
false 0 "false" false Try it »
true 1 "true" true Try it »
0 0 "0" false Try it »
1 1 "1" true Try it »
"0" 0 "0" true Try it »
"000" 0 "000" true Try it »
"1" 1 "1" true Try it »
NaN NaN "NaN" false Try it »
Infinity Infinity "Infinity" true Try it »
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-Infinity -Infinity "-Infinity" true Try it »
HTML CSS
"" 0 "" false Try it »
"20" 20 "20" true Try it »
"twenty" NaN "twenty" true Try it »
[] 0 "" true Try it »
[20] 20 "20" true Try it »
[10,20] NaN "10,20" true Try it »
["twenty"] NaN "twenty" true Try it »
["ten","twenty"] NaN "ten,twenty" true Try it »
function(){} NaN "function(){}" true Try it »
{} NaN "[object Object]" true Try it »
null 0 "null" false Try it »
undefined NaN "undefined" false Try it »
Values in quotes indicate string values.
Red values indicate values (some) programmers might not expect.
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