---
title: "QQ - How do I cast between different data types?"
slug: "qq-how-do-i-cast-between-different-data-types"
updated: 2023-04-25T13:36:36Z
published: 2023-04-25T13:36:36Z
canonical: "docs.datajet.app/qq-how-do-i-cast-between-different-data-types"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.datajet.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# QQ - How do I cast between different data types?

**Article In Progress...**

In general data should be loaded into a system so that field-data types are well matched, but this is not always possible. The following functional areas may require field-data types to be changed:

- **Joins** - there are limitations around which kind of continuous fields can be joined together - generally field-data types need to match exactly when linking continuous data-types.
- **Profiles** - continuous fields cannot be profiled
- **Context Panel** - quick counts are not displayed for continuous fields
- **Functions** - some functions only accept a particular field-data type

The following functional areas support casting of data types:

- **String Functions**:  LCAST, DCAST, ICAST, WILDICAST, WILDDCAST, CTOD, CONCAT
- **LMath:** A  (Convert Double to Int)
- **DMath:** A (Convert Int to Double)
- **Expression Builder**: Explicitly set Target Datatype

### String

| From | To | Details |
| --- | --- | --- |
| STRING DISCRETE | STRING DISCRETE | - STRING\| CONCAT(A) |
| STRING DISCRETE | STRING CONTINUOUS | - STRING \| ICAST (check "Do Not Ordinalize") |
| STRING DISCRETE | INTEGER DISCRETE | - STRING \| ICAST |
| STRING DISCRETE | INTEGER CONTINUOUS | 1. STRING \| CONCAT (A) (check "Do Not Ordinalize") 2. STRING \| ICAST |
| STRING DISCRETE | DOUBLE DISCRETE | - STRING \| DCAST |
| STRING DISCRETE | DOUBLE CONTINUOUS | 1. STRING \| CONCAT (A) (check "Do Not Ordinalize") 2. STRING \| DCAST |
| STRING DISCRETE | DATE | - STRING \| DATEFROMSTRING(A,B) |
| STRING DISCRETE | DATETIME |  |
| STRING DISCRETE | LONGINTEGER DISCRETE | - STRING \| LCAST |
| STRING DISCRETE | LONGINTEGER CONTINUOUS | 1. STRING \| CONCAT (A) (check "Do Not Ordinalize") 2. STRING \| LCAST |
| STRING CONTINUOUS | STRING DISCRETE | May not be possible, depending on cardinality of the source field. To find the number of discrete values, use Field Audit or Data Audit - Use: - STRING\| CONCAT(A) or - STRING \| CTOD - If number of discrete values is too high to be stored in a discrete field, the threshold can be modified by changing MAX_ENTRIES in the JSON method (note - this can only be done in Script Editor and will impact system performance as the UI will attempt to display all discrete values) - Consider applying a filter to reduce the number of discrete values |
| STRING CONTINUOUS | STRING CONTINUOUS | - STRING\| CONCAT(A) to create a copy of the field |
| STRING CONTINUOUS | INTEGER DISCRETE | - STRING \| ICAST - it may be necessary to apply a filter to force the field to be discrete |
| STRING CONTINUOUS | INTEGER CONTINUOUS | - STRING \| ICAST |
| STRING CONTINUOUS | DOUBLE DISCRETE | - STRING \| DCAST - it may be necessary to apply a filter to force the field to be discrete |
| STRING CONTINUOUS | DOUBLE CONTINUOUS | - STRING \| DCAST |
| STRING CONTINUOUS | LONGINTEGER DISCRETE | 1. STRING \| CTOD (use MAX_ENTRIES to set a higher discrete threshold if necessary, or apply a filter to reduce the number of discrete values) 2. STRING \| LCAST |
| STRING CONTINUOUS | LONGINTEGER CONTINUOUS | - STRING \| LCAST |
| STRING CONTINUOUS | DATE | - STRING \| DATEFROMSTRING(A,B) |
| STRING CONTINUOUS | DATETIME |  |

### Integer

| From | To | Details |
| --- | --- | --- |
| INTEGER DISCRETE | INTEGER CONTINUOUS | 1. STRING \| CONCAT (A) (check "Do Not Ordinalize") 2. STRING \| ICAST |
| INTEGER DISCRETE | STRING DISCRETE | - STRING\| CONCAT(A) to create a copy of the field |
| INTEGER DISCRETE | STRING CONTINUOUS | - STRING \| CONCAT (A) (check "Do Not Ordinalize") |
| INTEGER DISCRETE | DOUBLE DISCRETE | - STRING \| DCAST |
| INTEGER DISCRETE | DOUBLE CONTINUOUS | 1. STRING \| CONCAT (A) (check "Do Not Ordinalize") 2. STRING \| DCAST |
| INTEGER DISCRETE | LONGINTEGER DISCRETE |  |
| INTEGER DISCRETE | LONGINTEGER CONTINUOUS |  |
| INTEGER DISCRETE | DATE / DATETIME | NA |
| INTEGER CONTINUOUS | INTEGER DISCRETE |  |
| INTEGER CONTINUOUS | STRING DISCRETE |  |
| INTEGER CONTINUOUS | STRING CONTINUOUS |  |
| INTEGER CONTINUOUS | DOUBLE DISCRETE |  |
| INTEGER CONTINUOUS | DOUBLE CONTINUOUS |  |
| INTEGER CONTINUOUS | DATE / DATETIME | NA |

### LongInteger

| From | To | Details |
| --- | --- | --- |
| LONGINTEGER DISCRETE | INTEGER CONTINUOUS | 1. STRING \| CONCAT (A) (check "Do Not Ordinalize") 2. STRING \| ICAST |
| LONGINTEGER DISCRETE | STRING DISCRETE | - STRING\| CONCAT(A) to create a copy of the field |
| LONGINTEGER DISCRETE | STRING CONTINUOUS | - STRING \| CONCAT (A) (check "Do Not Ordinalize") |
| LONGINTEGER DISCRETE | DOUBLE DISCRETE | - STRING \| DCAST |
| LONGINTEGER DISCRETE | DOUBLE CONTINUOUS | 1. STRING \| CONCAT (A) (check "Do Not Ordinalize") 2. STRING \| DCAST |
| LONGINTEGER DISCRETE | INTEGER DISCRETE |  |
| LONGINTEGER DISCRETE | INTEGER CONTINUOUS |  |
| LONGINTEGER DISCRETE | DATE / DATETIME | NA |
| LONGINTEGER CONTINUOUS | INTEGER DISCRETE |  |
| LONGINTEGER CONTINUOUS | INTEGER CONTINUOUS |  |
| LONGINTEGER CONTINUOUS | STRING DISCRETE |  |
| LONGINTEGER CONTINUOUS | STRING CONTINUOUS |  |
| LONGINTEGER CONTINUOUS | DOUBLE DISCRETE |  |
| LONGINTEGER CONTINUOUS | DOUBLE CONTINUOUS |  |
| LONGINTEGER CONTINUOUS | DATE / DATETIME | NA |

### Double

| From | To | Details |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DOUBLE DISCRETE | DOUBLE CONTINUOUS |  |
| DOUBLE DISCRETE | STRING DISCRETE |  |
| DOUBLE DISCRETE | STRING CONTINUOUS |  |
| DOUBLE DISCRETE | INTEGER DISCRETE |  |
| DOUBLE DISCRETE | INTEGER CONTINUOUS |  |
| DOUBLE DISCRETE | LONGINTEGER DISCRETE |  |
| DOUBLE DISCRETE | LONGINTEGER CONTINUOUS |  |
| DOUBLE DISCRETE | DATE |  |
| DOUBLE DISCRETE | DATETIME |  |
| DOUBLE CONTINUOUS | DOUBLE DISCRETE |  |
| DOUBLE CONTINUOUS | STRING DISCRETE |  |
| DOUBLE CONTINUOUS | STRING CONTINUOUS |  |
| DOUBLE CONTINUOUS | INTEGER DISCRETE |  |
| DOUBLE CONTINUOUS | INTEGER CONTINUOUS | - LMATH \| A |
| DOUBLE CONTINUOUS | LONGINTEGER DISCRETE |  |
| DOUBLE CONTINUOUS | LONGINTEGER CONTINUOUS |  |
| DOUBLE CONTINUOUS | DATE |  |
| DOUBLE CONTINUOUS | DATETIME |  |

### Date and Datetime

| From | To | Details |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DATE | DATETIME |  |
| DATETIME | DATE |  |
| DATE | STRING DISCRETE |  |
| DATE | STRING CONTINUOUS |  |
| DATETIME | STRING DISCRETE |  |
| DATETIME | STRING CONTINUOUS |  |
| STRING DISCRETE | DATE |  |
| STRING CONTINUOUS | DATE |  |
| STRING DISCRETE | DATETIME |  |
| STRING CONTINUOUS | DATETIME |  |