stringtonumber

Stringtonumber refers to a programming function designed to convert a string that represents a number into a numeric value. The exact name and behavior vary by language, but the concept is common: transforming textual data into a numeric type that can participate in arithmetic and comparisons. In many ecosystems, stringtonumber is an available utility in the standard library or core language runtime.

Typical signatures include stringtonumber(s) or stringtonumber(s, base), where s is the input string and base (when present) specifies the numeric radix, such as 2 for binary or 16 for hexadecimal. If the input can be parsed, the function returns a number. If parsing fails, the result is language-dependent, commonly nil, null, or NaN.

Examples illustrate the range of behavior. stringtonumber('42') yields 42, stringtonumber('3.14') yields 3.14, and stringtonumber('FF', 16) yields 255. Some variants also accept leading or trailing whitespace and optional sign. Others restrict to integers or require strict format, returning an error indicator rather than a numeric value when the string is not a valid representation.

Notes and comparisons: stringtonumber is conceptually similar to functions such as tonumber, parseInt, or parseFloat in different languages. For robust parsing, consider language-specific rules about decimal points, exponent notation, and radix handling. Always check what the function returns on invalid input to avoid silent errors.

See also: tonumber, parseInt, parseFloat, cast, numeric conversion.