Purpose

NUMERIC converts data from either alphanumeric or wide to numeric.
 

Syntax

variable = NUMERIC (operand)
 

Operation

operand is any valid alphanumeric, wide, or numeric constant, variable, or expression.  The system checks for valid numeric characters (0-9), a sign character (+ or -), and a decimal point (.).  Any other characters result in a returned value of 0.
 

Remarks

If operand is a valid alphanumeric or wide constant, variable, or expression, the result is the numeric value represented by the string.  

If operand is a valid numeric constant, variable, or expression, the function returns the operand.  Use this method only to clearly document the intended data type of the expression.