Formula Tool - Numeric Data Type

Question

Hello Professionals,

I understand to compute numbers is to use numeric data type or the formula tool will show an error. In the Configuration Window, I'm still unclear why the Formula Tool (compute numeric data type from the input data) doesn't show an error though we don't change Data Type to numeric (attached example).

Thank you,

formula_try_it.yxmd

Screenshot 2024-03-15 133015.png

apathetichell · Accepted Answer

I think of it as "anything can be converted to a string - not everything can be converted to a number"

SPetrie · Accepted Answer

Tax and price are both numeric data types so doing math with them is no issue.  The result of that is also a number, but the field type is saving that result as a string data type.

SPetrie · Accepted Answer

Correct. To be used as a number, the result would either need to be saved as a numeric data type, or you would need to use another formula to convert it to a number before any additional numeric operations can be applied to it.