TONUMBER

The TONUMBER function converts a text string of a specified format to a number.

Syntax:

TONUMBER ( single-character-text-expression
  [ , single-text-expression ] )

Meaning:

TONUMBER ( text_to_convert [ , number_format_string ] )

Returns:

A single character number item

TONUMBER returns the number that corresponds to the value specified by text_to_convert, which is in the format specified by number_format_string. If number_format_string is not specified, it will be assumed that text_to_convert is in ANSI decimal format (for example, "{L-####['.'##]}").

The number_format_string must conform to the number format strings as described in the "Format strings" topic.

Examples

• TONUMBER(text_to_convert, "{L+'$'#','###}")

  L+'$' indicates the leading dollar sign is positive. That leading sign and the comma separators are removed when the text is converted to a number.

  Input String: $123,000,000

  Output: 123000000

• TONUMBER(text_to_convert, "{####T-}")

  Four number signs are required for each whole number, regardless of the actual number of digits in the number.

  Input string:	Output:	Note:
  12345-	-12345	The output becomes a negative number.
  67890	67890	No change occurs.
  345-	-345	The output becomes a negative number.

• TONUMBER(text_to_convert, "{####T+'K'-}")

  If an invalid character, such as an X, is encountered, nothing is returned.

  If a K is encountered, it is treated as a positive indicator.

  Input string:	Output:	Note:
  11212-	-11212	The output becomes a negative number.
  67890X		The X is an invalid character. No number is returned.
  54354	54354	No change occurs.
  34567K	34567	The K is recognized as a positive sign. The character is removed and the number is returned as a positive.
  345-	-345	The output becomes a negative number.

• TONUMBER(text_to_convert, "{L-'('#','###T-')'}")

  The parentheses indicating a negative number are removed and replaced with a negative sign.

  Comma separators are removed when the text is converted to a number.

  Input string:	Output:	Note:
  (12,345)	-12345	The output becomes a negative number. The comma separator is removed.
  67,890	67890	The comma separator is removed.
  (345)	-345	The output becomes a negative number.

• TONUMBER(text_to_convert, "{#[',']###['.'##5]T+'K'-}")

  The optional comma separators are removed, but the decimal points and decimal values are retained.

  Input string:	Output:	Note:
  54,345.098	54354.098	The comma separator is removed.
  67890.0X		The X is an invalid character. No number is returned.
  11213-	-11213	The output becomes a negative number.
  34567K	34567	The K is recognized as a positive sign. The character is removed and the number is returned as a positive.
  345.1-	-345.1	The output becomes a negative number.

Related functions

• DATETONUMBER
• FROMNUMBER
• NUMBERTODATE
• NUMBERTOTEXT