Type conversion functions in Tableau - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

❓ dax_lod_result

intermediate

Output of INT() conversion in Tableau

What is the output of the following Tableau calculated field?

INT("123.99")

Assume the input is a string and INT() converts it to an integer.

Tableau

INT("123.99")

A 123

B 124

C 123.99

D Error: Cannot convert string with decimal to INT

💡 Hint

INT() truncates decimal parts after converting to number.

INT() converts the string to a number and truncates the decimal part, so '123.99' becomes 123.

❓ visualization

intermediate

Visualizing type conversion impact on data

You have a dataset with a field 'Sales' stored as string values like '1000', '2000', '3000'. You want to create a bar chart showing total sales.

Which Tableau calculated field should you use to correctly sum sales as numbers?

A SUM(STR([Sales]))

B SUM([Sales])

C SUM(INT([Sales]))

D SUM(FLOAT([Sales]))

💡 Hint

Sales values have decimals possible, so use a conversion that supports decimals.

FLOAT() converts string to decimal numbers, allowing SUM() to add them correctly. INT() would truncate decimals, STR() converts to string (no sum), and SUM([Sales]) sums strings causing error.

🧠 Conceptual

advanced

Understanding type conversion errors in Tableau

Which of the following scenarios will cause a type conversion error in Tableau when using INT() or FLOAT() functions?

A Converting a number 123 to INT()

B Converting a string 'abc123' to INT()

C Converting a string '123.45' to FLOAT()

D Converting a string '1000' to FLOAT()

💡 Hint

Think about what strings can be converted to numbers.

Strings with non-numeric characters like 'abc123' cannot be converted to numbers, causing errors. Other options are valid conversions.

❓ data_modeling

advanced

Choosing correct type conversion for date calculations

You have a string field 'OrderDate' in format '2023-06-15'. You want to calculate the number of days since this date.

Which Tableau calculated field correctly converts 'OrderDate' to a date type for this calculation?

A DATEDIFF("day", STR([OrderDate]), TODAY())

B DATEDIFF("day", INT([OrderDate]), TODAY())

C DATEDIFF("day", DATE([OrderDate]), TODAY())

D DATEDIFF("day", FLOAT([OrderDate]), TODAY())

💡 Hint

Dates must be converted to date type, not numbers or strings.

DATE() converts string to date type. INT() and FLOAT() convert to numbers causing errors. STR() keeps string type, invalid for date calculations.

🔧 Formula Fix

expert

Debugging type conversion in nested calculations

Given the Tableau calculated field:

IF INT([Score]) > 50 THEN "Pass" ELSE "Fail" END

Which issue will cause this calculation to fail or produce incorrect results?

Tableau

IF INT([Score]) > 50 THEN "Pass" ELSE "Fail" END

A If [Score] contains null or non-numeric strings, INT() will cause an error

B Comparison operator '>' is invalid in Tableau calculated fields

C The ELSE clause is missing a return value causing syntax error

D INT() converts decimals correctly, so no issues expected

💡 Hint

Consider what happens if input is not a clean number string.

INT() fails if input is null or contains non-numeric characters, causing calculation errors. ELSE clause and '>' operator are valid syntax.