---
schema_version: "1"
id: f270ff06ec78a4e3b97cbaf1e7004bd878d32ea42d52bcdb6d93d49ecac618f3
title: "Number to Text Transformation: Convert the Column Type"
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/analytics/264-0-0/bi_integrate_recipe_transformation_measuretodimension.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.bi_integrate_recipe_transformation_measuretodimension.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: be1e5548edb65f30775ce3909d7d80eabdc98db43b51ed051e7a887966850d02
description: When you load data into a dataset, CRM Analytics tags a text (dimension) column as a number (measure) column if it contains only numbers. For example, CRM Analytics tags a numerical Room Number column as the number type, even though it’s text that identifies rooms. To group and filter by a number column, use the Number To Text transformation to change a Number column type to Text. You can group and filter by text columns only.
products:
  - CRM Analytics
  - Cross Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Number to Text Transformation: Convert the Column Type

When you load data into a dataset, CRM Analytics tags a text (dimension) column as a number (measure) column if it contains only numbers. For example, CRM Analytics tags a numerical Room Number column as the number type, even though it’s text that identifies rooms. To group and filter by a number column, use the Number To Text transformation to change a Number column type to Text. You can group and filter by text columns only.

### Required Editions

## Number to Text Transformation: Convert the Column Type

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d38428e39">User Permissions
              Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d38428e39 ">To manage and create a recipe:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d38428e39 ">Edit CRM Analytics Dataflows OR Edit Dataset Recipes</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

1. In the Transform node of a Data Prep recipe, select the number (measure) column you want to convert to the Text (dimension) column type.
2. In the Transform toolbar, select **Number to** | **Text**.
    
    ![The To Text modal showing the option to specify a new column name.](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-analytics-bi-264-0-0-production-enus/ec791473-f5b4-4f64-a656-9104f455d966/resources-global/analytics/images/bi_integrate_mea2dim_settings.png)
3. Under Show Results In, select whether the new values appear in a new column and whether to keep the original column.
4. If you elect to create a column, set the label under Column Label.
5. To change more column attributes, click the Column Attributes box, change them, and click **Apply**. ![The Column Attributes box showing the API Name, Output Type, and Length for the resulting text column.](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-analytics-bi-264-0-0-production-enus/ec791473-f5b4-4f64-a656-9104f455d966/resources-global/analytics/images/bi_integrate_mea2dim_moreSettings.png)
    
    Based on the output column’s datatype, you can set these attributes.
    
    <table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
            <colgroup>
              <col style="width:17.064846416382252%">
              <col style="width:82.93515358361775%">
            </colgroup>
            <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
              <tr class="">
                <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d38428e97">Attribute</th>
                <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d38428e99">Description</th>
              </tr>
            </thead>
            <tbody>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Attribute" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d38428e97 ">API Name</td>
                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d38428e99 ">
                  <p style="margin-bottom:0;">The API name of the column. The column API name can each be up to 255
                    characters. The API name must also be unique within the recipe.</p>
                </td>
              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Attribute" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d38428e97 ">Precision</td>
                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d38428e99 ">
                  <p style="margin-bottom:0;">The maximum number of digits in a numeric (measure) column. Includes all
                    numbers to the left and to the right of the decimal point (but excludes the
                    decimal point character). Enter an integer from 1 through 18, inclusive. If
                    a numeric value exceeds the specified precision, the value is set to 0 or
                    null, depending on whether null measure handling is enabled. For example, if
                    precision is set to 5 and null measure handling is enabled, the numeric
                    value 123456.78 is replaced with null.</p>
                </td>
              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Attribute" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d38428e97 ">Scale</td>
                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d38428e99 ">
                  <p style="margin-bottom:0;">The number of digits to the right of the decimal point in a numeric column.
                    Enter an integer from 0 through 17, inclusive. The scale must be less than
                    the precision. For example, if the numeric value is 123456.789 and you set
                    the scale to 2, the number appears as 123456.78. </p>
                </td>
              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Attribute" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d38428e97 ">Length</td>
                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d38428e99 ">
                  <p style="margin-bottom:0;">The maximum number of characters in a text (dimension) column. Enter an
                    integer from 1 through 32000, inclusive. The default length is 255
                    characters.</p>
                </td>
              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Attribute" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d38428e97 ">Date Format</td>
                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d38428e99 ">
                  <p style="margin-bottom:0;">The date format of a date column.</p>
                </td>
              </tr>
            </tbody>
          </table>
    
    For more guidelines, see the “Field Name Restrictions” section in [this help topic](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.bi_dev_guide_ext_data_format.meta/bi_dev_guide_ext_data_format/bi_ext_data_schema_reference.htm).
6. To add the transformation to the Transform node, click **Apply**. The Preview tab shows the text column.
7. To view the Graph area, click the Collapse button (![Collapse button](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-analytics-bi-264-0-0-production-enus/ec791473-f5b4-4f64-a656-9104f455d966/resources-global/analytics/images/bi_button_collapse.png)).
8. Save the recipe.

Run the recipe to convert the column type to Text.