---
schema_version: "1"
id: b5ec616c8af3276b8030fa7fb7073e09c98a45c39b927928c068814a5400e089
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/data/264-0-0/c360_a_batch_transform_transformation_measuretodimension.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_batch_transform_transformation_measuretodimension.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 1985ff0fde80fe23e470edd1fb6ba22446b0270ff01b628770c1ebc88385e6ed
description: To group and filter by a numeric column, use the Number To Text transformation. You can group and filter by text columns only.
products:
  - Data 360
release: "264"
---
# Number to Text Transformation: Convert the Column Type

To group and filter by a numeric column, use the Number To Text transformation. You can group and filter by text columns only.

1. In the Transform node, select the number column that you want to convert to the Text column type.
2. In the Transform toolbar, select **Number to** | **Text**.
    
    ![The To Date modal provides options to specify the date format.](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-data-data_cloud-264-0-0-production-enus/f3569962-3c9b-4f83-9d0c-b6a574e785da/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 shows the API Name, Output Type, and Length for the resulting dimension column.](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-data-data_cloud-264-0-0-production-enus/f3569962-3c9b-4f83-9d0c-b6a574e785da/resources-global/analytics/images/bi_integrate_mea2dim_moreSettings.png)
6. 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="d92542e65">Attribute</th>
                <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d92542e67">Description</th>
              </tr>
            </thead>
            <tbody>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Attribute" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d92542e65 ">API Name</td>
                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d92542e67 ">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 batch data transform.</td>
              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Attribute" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d92542e65 ">Precision</td>
                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d92542e67 ">
                  <p>The maximum number of digits in a numeric column. Includes all numbers to the left and
                    to the right of the decimal point (but excludes the decimal point character). Enter an
                    integer between 1 and 18, inclusive.</p>
                  <p style="margin-bottom:0;">If a numeric value exceeds the specified precision, the value is set to 0 or null. For
                    example, if precision is set to 5, the numeric value is replaced with null.</p>
                </td>
              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Attribute" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d92542e65 ">Scale</td>
                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d92542e67 ">The number of digits to the right of the decimal point in a numeric column. Enter an
                  integer between 0 and 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.</td>
              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Attribute" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d92542e65 ">Length</td>
                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d92542e67 ">The maximum number of characters in a text column. Enter an integer between 1 and
                  32000, inclusive. The default length is 255 characters. </td>
              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Attribute" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d92542e65 ">Date Format</td>
                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d92542e67 ">The date format of a date column.</td>
              </tr>
            </tbody>
          </table>For more guidelines, see Field Name Restrictions in [Analytics External Data Format Developer Guide: External Data Metadata Format Reference](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).
7. To add the transformation to the Transform node, click **Apply**. The Preview tab shows the text column.
8. To view the canvas area, click the **Collapse** button (![Collapse button](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-data-data_cloud-264-0-0-production-enus/f3569962-3c9b-4f83-9d0c-b6a574e785da/resources-global/analytics/images/bi_button_collapse.png)).

Run the batch data transform to convert the column type to Text.