# Invalid JSONata expression: Unable to cast value to a number
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/invalid-jsonata-expression-unable-to-cast-value-to-a-number/69549
**Category:** General
**Created:** [25 October 2022 10:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/invalid-jsonata-expression-unable-to-cast-value-to-a-number/69549 "2022-10-25T10:18:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Giacomo23](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Giacomo23)
#### Post date: [25 October 2022 10:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/invalid-jsonata-expression-unable-to-cast-value-to-a-number/69549/1 "2022-10-25T10:18:52Z")
hello everyone, I have to convert values to string, only that when I try to do an edit change node with expresion "$ number (payload)" it gives me the following error "Invalid JSONata expression: Unable to cast value to a number: "5\n5\n5\n5\n"", then I added a function that eliminates "/ n" and managed to bypass the error I got, unfortunately, however, the result is not what I would have expected but they delete "/ n" all the values went in a single row thus doing a wrong average of the values subsequently, how can I solve this problem?
Thanks for all
---
### Author:  [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)
#### Post date: [25 October 2022 10:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/invalid-jsonata-expression-unable-to-cast-value-to-a-number/69549/2 "2022-10-25T10:36:59Z")
Your post is very confusing, are you saying you wish to average the four 5's, which would be 5. Please explain if not.
Can we also see a debug after the file node.
Also best to post code as text as no one can copy the text from an image.
To take the string
```auto
5
5
5
5
```
You can pass it through a change node and apply the JSONata expression
```auto
$average($split($trim($$.payload), /\s/).$number($))
```
Output would be 5
or
```auto
$sum($split($trim($$.payload), /\s/).$number($)) / 6
```
output would be 3.3333˙
---
### Author:  [@Giacomo23](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Giacomo23)
#### Post date: [25 October 2022 11:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/invalid-jsonata-expression-unable-to-cast-value-to-a-number/69549/3 "2022-10-25T11:47:24Z")
Thanks for the reply and I apologize if I did not make myself understood, however the solution you have proposed is fine
"$ sum ($ split ($ trim ($$. payload), /\s/).$number($)) / 6"
I just wanted to know if it was possible to have an integer as a solution for example:
if the result is this "3.3333333333333335" I want this "3" as output otherwise if I get "3.6666666" as output I would like to have this "4"
thanks again
---
### Author:  [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)
#### Post date: [25 October 2022 12:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/invalid-jsonata-expression-unable-to-cast-value-to-a-number/69549/4 "2022-10-25T12:15:25Z")
If you look at [Numeric functions · JSONata](https://docs.jsonata.org/numeric-functions) You will see all functions you can apply to a number
$round() round depending on decimal place
$ceil() round up
$floor() round down
so
```auto
$round($sum($split($trim($$.payload), /\s/).$number($)) / 6)
```
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [8 November 2022 12:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/invalid-jsonata-expression-unable-to-cast-value-to-a-number/69549/5 "2022-11-08T12:15:25Z")
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