Converting FLOAT to TEXT using printf

Goal

This document describes the way to return FLOAT fields as TEXT fields with a specific format using the custom function printf.

Content

When dealing with FLOAT fields, it is important to notice that they are truncated following the international configuration for the query executed, the view, the Virtual DataPort database, or the Virtual DataPort server.

If any of these FLOAT fields are required to be returned as a TEXT value, the printf custom function can be used. This custom function is available in the Denodo support site, under the component with the name “Denodo Xtrafuncts for VDP”.

This component contains a jar file with several custom functions that, once imported into Virtual DataPort, can be used as any other function available by default.

The component also contains a documentation file with information about every custom function included. The printf custom function works in the same way as the printf in Java. It allows the following signatures:

• printf (expression, value):

• Performs a String.format (...) formatting operation.

• printf (locale, expression, value):

• Performs a String.format (...) formatting operation. The locale argument is used to get locale-specific formatting of numbers.  

For example:

• printf(‘%.4f’, percentage): 

• returns a TEXT field for the FLOAT field “percentage” with 4 decimal positions.

Reference:

Denodo XtraFuncs - User Manual