Type Conversion Functions

This section provides reference information for type conversion functions in Databend. These functions enable strict casting of VARIANT values to other SQL data types.

Type Conversion

Function	Description	Example
AS_BOOLEAN	Converts a VARIANT value to BOOLEAN	AS_BOOLEAN(PARSE_JSON('true')) → true
AS_INTEGER	Converts a VARIANT value to BIGINT	AS_INTEGER(PARSE_JSON('42')) → 42
AS_FLOAT	Converts a VARIANT value to DOUBLE	AS_FLOAT(PARSE_JSON('3.14')) → 3.14
AS_DECIMAL	Converts a VARIANT value to DECIMAL	AS_DECIMAL(PARSE_JSON('12.34')) → 12.34
AS_STRING	Converts a VARIANT value to STRING	AS_STRING(PARSE_JSON('"hello"')) → 'hello'
AS_BINARY	Converts a VARIANT value to BINARY	AS_BINARY(TO_BINARY('abcd')::VARIANT) → 61626364
AS_DATE	Converts a VARIANT value to DATE	AS_DATE(TO_DATE('2025-10-11')::VARIANT) → 2025-10-11
AS_ARRAY	Converts a VARIANT value to ARRAY	AS_ARRAY(PARSE_JSON('[1,2,3]')) → [1,2,3]
AS_OBJECT	Converts a VARIANT value to OBJECT	AS_OBJECT(PARSE_JSON('{"a":1}')) → {"a":1}

Important Notes

• These functions perform strict casting of VARIANT values
• If the input data type is not VARIANT, the output is NULL
• If the type of value in the VARIANT does not match the expected output type, the output is NULL
• All AS_* functions ensure type safety by returning NULL for incompatible conversions