# Converting float to a formatted string

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/converting-float-to-a-formatted-string/53962>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [18 November 2021 18:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/converting-float-to-a-formatted-string/53962 "2021-11-18T18:58:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![henkkas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/henkkas/32/39844_2.png) [@henkkas](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/henkkas)\
**Post date:** [18 November 2021 18:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/converting-float-to-a-formatted-string/53962/1 "2021-11-18T18:58:12Z")

</div>

Hi there. Anybody know the best way to convert floats with an unknown number of digits before as well as after the dot, to a string with specific length so that the point is always at the same position in the string?  
This is necessairy for placing in columns.

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**Author:** ![E1cid](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/e1cid/32/77971_2.png) [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)\
**Post date:** [18 November 2021 19:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/converting-float-to-a-formatted-string/53962/2 "2021-11-18T19:10:37Z")

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May be JSONata formatNumber() may help

```auto
[{"id":"efe8c79e.7b253","type":"inject","z":"b779de97.b1b46","name":"","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"12.23456","payloadType":"num","x":230,"y":1100,"wires":[["b52932b3.d6fa68"]]},{"id":"b52932b3.d6fa68","type":"change","z":"b779de97.b1b46","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"payload","pt":"msg","to":"$formatNumber($$.payload, '0000000.0000000')\t","tot":"jsonata"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":500,"y":1100,"wires":[["38c93b0.6dfd3c6"]]},{"id":"a91958b1.07a2c8","type":"inject","z":"b779de97.b1b46","name":"","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"12.23","payloadType":"num","x":210,"y":1060,"wires":[["b52932b3.d6fa68"]]},{"id":"38c93b0.6dfd3c6","type":"debug","z":"b779de97.b1b46","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"false","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":740,"y":1100,"wires":[]}]

```

```auto
$formatNumber($$.payload, '0000000.0000000')	

```

input `12.3456 `output `0000012.3456000`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [18 November 2021 19:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/converting-float-to-a-formatted-string/53962/3 "2021-11-18T19:13:58Z")

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If you are displaying the value on dashboard, you can use angular formatting in many of the components. E.g. `{{ payload | number: '1.2-2' }}`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![henkkas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/henkkas/32/39844_2.png) [@henkkas](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/henkkas)\
**Post date:** [18 November 2021 19:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/converting-float-to-a-formatted-string/53962/4 "2021-11-18T19:33:56Z")

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@Steve-Mcl , thanks for the suggestion, but it is ment for a table.

@E1cid , That is a very good solution!! I only need to loose the leading zero's.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![henkkas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/henkkas/32/39844_2.png) [@henkkas](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/henkkas)\
**Post date:** [18 November 2021 19:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/converting-float-to-a-formatted-string/53962/5 "2021-11-18T19:39:29Z")

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@E1cid , I don't seem to be able to use this construction in a function node. 🤔

I need this for a lot of calculated variables.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![E1cid](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/e1cid/32/77971_2.png) [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)\
**Post date:** [18 November 2021 20:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/converting-float-to-a-formatted-string/53962/6 "2021-11-18T20:03:01Z")

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Change the leading "0" to "#" e.g. "#######.0000000"

It is JSONata not javascript  
javascript equivalent is

```auto
msg.payload = msg.payload.toFixed(7);
return msg;

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![henkkas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/henkkas/32/39844_2.png) [@henkkas](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/henkkas)\
**Post date:** [19 November 2021 07:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/converting-float-to-a-formatted-string/53962/7 "2021-11-19T07:10:41Z")

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@E1cid , now I feel stupid. 😁 Always thought "toFixed()" was for truncating.....pff.

Thanks !!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![t.sarah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@t.sarah](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/t.sarah)\
**Post date:** [23 December 2021 21:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/converting-float-to-a-formatted-string/53962/8 "2021-12-23T21:04:26Z")

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> [@E1cid](#):
>
> ```auto
> msg.payload = msg.payload.toFixed(7);
> return msg;
> 
> ```

Hello,

Try this expression :

return msg.payload = msg.payload.toFixed(6);

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [21 February 2022 21:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/converting-float-to-a-formatted-string/53962/9 "2022-02-21T21:05:23Z")

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