1.3.4.9.6 Match Transformation: Convert String to Number

The Convert String to Number transformation allows number values that are held in String attributes to be converted into actual Number attribute values when clustering.

This works in exactly the same way as the main Convert String to Number processor, but may be useful to apply purely for clustering purposes.

Note that Convert String to Number cannot be used within Comparisons.

Use the Convert String to Number transformation where you have number values held in a String identifier (for example, because you imported the data from a text file or other format with no specific data typing), and where you want to cluster on a formalized Number value. Note that any values that are not recognized as numbers will be converted to Null values.

Note that if you have many different representations of numbers in your text field, and you need to review the results of the conversion, you should use the main Convert String to Number processor prior to matching.

The following table describes the configuration options:

Configuration	Description
Options	Specify the following options: Number formats Reference Data: recognizes numbers in a variety of different formats. Type: Reference Data (Number Formatting Category). Default value: *Number Formats.

Example

In this example, data has been imported from a text file, so all attributes have String types. In Data Type Profiling (see Data Types Profiler), one of the attributes was found to contain number values corresponding to phone number area codes. The data is converted to a Number format when clustering.

Example configuration

Number formats Reference Data: *Number Formats

Example transformations

The following table shows examples of transformations using the above configuration:

Table 1-78 Example Transformations for Convert String to Number

Value	Transformed Value
01223743984 (String)	1223743984 (number)
029 (String)	29 (number)
+44(0)1223	Null (number)
(01784)	Null (number)