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Convert

Converts all elements in an array to a specified data type (string, number, or boolean).

Common Properties​

  • Name - The custom name of the node.
  • Color - The custom color of the node.
  • Delay Before (sec) - Waits in seconds before executing the node.
  • Delay After (sec) - Waits in seconds after executing node.
  • Continue On Error - Automation will continue regardless of any error. The default value is false.
info

If the ContinueOnError property is true, no error is caught when the project is executed, even if a Catch node is used.

Inputs​

  • Array - The array containing elements to convert.

Options​

  • To - The target data type for conversion. Available options:
    • String - Converts all elements to string values
    • Number - Converts all elements to numeric values
    • Boolean - Converts all elements to boolean values

Outputs​

  • Array - The array with all elements converted to the specified type.

How It Works​

The Convert node transforms all elements in an array to a specified data type. When executed, the node:

  1. Receives an array through the Array input
  2. Validates that a target type is selected
  3. Iterates through each element in the array
  4. Converts each element to the specified type:
    • String conversion: Converts any value to its string representation
    • Number conversion: Parses strings and converts to numeric values
    • Boolean conversion: Converts valid boolean representations to true/false
  5. Returns a new array with all converted elements
  6. Handles thread-safe operations when working with Global or Flow scope variables

Requirements​

  • Valid array as input
  • Target type must be selected (String, Number, or Boolean)

Error Handling​

The node will return specific errors in the following cases:

  • Invalid array input
  • No target type selected: "Type must be selected"
  • Conversion failure for specific elements:
    • Number conversion: "cannot convert (value) into a number" - when the element cannot be parsed as a number
    • Boolean conversion: "cannot convert (value) into a bool" - when the element is not a valid boolean representation

Boolean Conversion Rules​

For boolean conversion, elements must be one of the following values (case-insensitive):

  • True values: "1", "t", "true"
  • False values: "0", "f", "false"

Any other value will cause a conversion error.

Usage Examples​

Example 1: Convert Scraped Prices to Numbers​

Convert price strings scraped from a website to numbers for calculations:

  1. Input Array: ["19.99", "25.50", "12.75", "8.99"]
  2. Set To option to "Number"
  3. Result: [19.99, 25.50, 12.75, 8.99]
  4. Now you can perform mathematical operations on the prices

Example 2: Convert Numbers to Strings for Display​

Convert numeric IDs to strings for concatenation or display:

  1. Input Array: [1001, 1002, 1003, 1004]
  2. Set To option to "String"
  3. Result: ["1001", "1002", "1003", "1004"]
  4. Use for creating formatted messages or reports

Example 3: Convert Status Flags to Booleans​

Convert string status values to boolean flags:

  1. Input Array: ["true", "false", "1", "0", "t", "f"]
  2. Set To option to "Boolean"
  3. Result: [true, false, true, false, true, false]
  4. Use for conditional logic and filtering

Example 4: Data Normalization Pipeline​

Normalize mixed-type data for consistent processing:

  1. Scrape form inputs that come as strings: ["25", "30", "18", "45"]
  2. Convert to Number for age validation and calculations
  3. Process numeric data (e.g., calculate average age)
  4. Convert back to String if needed for output formatting

Tips for Effective Use​

  • Always validate your data before conversion to avoid errors
  • String conversion is the most forgiving - any value can be converted to string
  • Number conversion will fail if the string doesn't represent a valid number
  • Boolean conversion requires exact values - use data validation first
  • Use Continue On Error cautiously with Convert - a single invalid element will fail the entire conversion
  • Consider using Array.GetElement in a loop for element-by-element conversion with custom error handling
  • Combine with filtering nodes to remove invalid elements before conversion
  • Use after data scraping operations to normalize data types
  • Chain multiple Convert nodes for complex data transformations

Common Use Cases​

  • Converting scraped text data to numbers for calculations
  • Normalizing form input data types
  • Preparing data for database insertion with specific type requirements
  • Converting numeric codes to strings for display
  • Standardizing boolean flags from various sources
  • Data type normalization in ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes
  • Converting API response data to required types
  • Preparing data for Excel or CSV export with consistent types

Common Errors and Solutions​

Error: "cannot convert (value) into a number"​

Cause: The array contains non-numeric strings like "abc", "N/A", or empty strings.

Solutions:

  • Filter out non-numeric values before conversion
  • Use data validation to clean the array
  • Replace invalid values with defaults (e.g., 0) before conversion

Error: "cannot convert (value) into a bool"​

Cause: The value is not one of the accepted boolean representations.

Solutions:

  • Ensure values are "1", "0", "true", "false", "t", or "f" (case-insensitive)
  • Use data transformation to map custom values to valid boolean strings first
  • Example: Map "yes"/"no" to "true"/"false" before conversion

Error: "Type must be selected"​

Cause: The To option was not set.

Solutions:

  • Select one of the three target types: String, Number, or Boolean