[sql-server-2008] How to convert float to varchar in SQL Server

I have a float column with numbers of different length and I'm trying to convert them to varchar.

Some values exceed bigint max size, so I can't do something like this

cast(cast(float_field as bigint) as varchar(100))

I've tried using decimal, but numbers aren't of the same size, so this doesn't help too

CONVERT(varchar(100), Cast(float_field as decimal(38, 0)))

Any help is appreciated.

UPDATE:

Sample value is 2.2000012095022E+26.

If you use a CLR function, you can convert the float to a string that looks just like the float, without all the extra 0's at the end.

CLR Function

[Microsoft.SqlServer.Server.SqlFunction(DataAccess = DataAccessKind.Read)]
[return: SqlFacet(MaxSize = 50)]
public static SqlString float_to_str(double Value, int TruncAfter)
{
  string rtn1 = Value.ToString("R");
  string rtn2 = Value.ToString("0." + new string('0', TruncAfter));

  if (rtn1.Length < rtn2.Length) { return rtn1; } else { return rtn2; }
}

.

Example

create table #temp (value float)
insert into #temp values (0.73), (0), (0.63921), (-0.70945), (0.28), (0.72000002861023), (3.7), (-0.01), (0.86), (0.55489), (0.439999997615814)

select value,
       dbo.float_to_str(value, 18) as converted,
       case when value = cast(dbo.float_to_str(value, 18) as float) then 1 else 0 end as same
from   #temp

drop table #temp

.

Output

value                  converted                  same
---------------------- -------------------------- -----------
0.73                   0.73                       1
0                      0                          1
0.63921                0.63921                    1
-0.70945               -0.70945                   1
0.28                   0.28                       1
0.72000002861023       0.72000002861023           1
3.7                    3.7                        1
-0.01                  -0.01                      1
0.86                   0.86                       1
0.55489                0.55489                    1
0.439999997615814      0.439999997615814          1

.

Caveat

All converted strings are truncated at 18 decimal places, and there are no trailing zeros. 18 digits of precision is not a problem for us. And, 100% of our FP numbers (close to 100,000 values) look identical as string values as they do in the database as FP numbers.

float only has a max. precision of 15 digits. Digits after the 15th position are therefore random, and conversion to bigint (max. 19 digits) or decimal does not help you.

SELECT LTRIM(STR(float_field, 25, 0))

is the best way so you do not add .0000 and any digit at the end of the value.

select replace(myFloat, '', '')

from REPLACE() documentation:

Returns nvarchar if one of the input arguments is of the nvarchar data type; otherwise, REPLACE returns varchar.
Returns NULL if any one of the arguments is NULL.

tests:
null ==> [NULL]
1.11 ==> 1.11
1.10 ==> 1.1
1.00 ==> 1
0.00 ==> 0
-1.10 ==> -1.1
0.00001 ==> 1e-005
0.000011 ==> 1.1e-005

this is the solution I ended up using in sqlserver 2012 (since all the other suggestions had the drawback of truncating fractional part or some other drawback).

declare @float float = 1000000000.1234;
select format(@float, N'#.##############################');

output:

1000000000.1234

this has the further advantage (in my case) to make thousands separator and localization easy:

select format(@float, N'#,##0.##########', 'de-DE');

output:

1.000.000.000,1234

Convert into an integer first and then into a string:

cast((convert(int,b.tax_id)) as varchar(20))

Try this one, should work:

cast((convert(bigint,b.tax_id)) as varchar(20))

This can help without rounding

declare @test float(25)

declare @test1 decimal(10,5)

select @test = 34.0387597207
select @test
set @test1 = convert (decimal(10,5), @test)
select cast((@test1) as varchar(12))


Select  LEFT(cast((@test1) as varchar(12)),LEN(cast((@test1) as varchar(12)))-1)

The only query bit I found that returns the EXACT same original number is

CONVERT (VARCHAR(50), float_field,128)

See http://www.connectsql.com/2011/04/normal-0-microsoftinternetexplorer4.html

The other solutions above will sometimes round or add digits at the end

UPDATE: As per comments below and what I can see in https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187928.aspx:

CONVERT (VARCHAR(50), float_field,3)

Should be used in new SQL Server versions (Azure SQL Database, and starting in SQL Server 2016 RC3)

I just came across a similar situation and was surprised at the rounding issues of 'very large numbers' presented within SSMS v17.9.1 / SQL 2017.

I am not suggesting I have a solution, however I have observed that FORMAT presents a number which appears correct. I can not imply this reduces further rounding issues or is useful within a complicated mathematical function.

T SQL Code supplied which should clearly demonstrate my observations while enabling others to test their code and ideas should the need arise.

WITH Units AS 
(
   SELECT 1.0 AS [RaisedPower] , 'Ten' As UnitDescription
   UNION ALL
   SELECT 2.0 AS [RaisedPower] , 'Hundred' As UnitDescription
   UNION ALL
   SELECT 3.0 AS [RaisedPower] , 'Thousand' As UnitDescription
   UNION ALL
   SELECT 6.0 AS [RaisedPower] , 'Million' As UnitDescription
   UNION ALL
   SELECT 9.0 AS [RaisedPower] , 'Billion' As UnitDescription
   UNION ALL
   SELECT 12.0 AS [RaisedPower] , 'Trillion' As UnitDescription
   UNION ALL
   SELECT 15.0 AS [RaisedPower] , 'Quadrillion' As UnitDescription
   UNION ALL
   SELECT 18.0 AS [RaisedPower] , 'Quintillion' As UnitDescription
   UNION ALL
   SELECT 21.0 AS [RaisedPower] , 'Sextillion' As UnitDescription
   UNION ALL
   SELECT 24.0 AS [RaisedPower] , 'Septillion' As UnitDescription
   UNION ALL
   SELECT 27.0 AS [RaisedPower] , 'Octillion' As UnitDescription
   UNION ALL
   SELECT 30.0 AS [RaisedPower] , 'Nonillion' As UnitDescription
   UNION ALL
   SELECT 33.0  AS [RaisedPower] , 'Decillion' As UnitDescription

)

SELECT UnitDescription

   ,              POWER( CAST(10.0 AS FLOAT(53)) , [RaisedPower] )                                                             AS ReturnsFloat
   ,        CAST( POWER( CAST(10.0 AS FLOAT(53)) , [RaisedPower] )  AS NUMERIC (38,0) )                                        AS RoundingIssues
   , STR(   CAST( POWER( CAST(10.0 AS FLOAT(53)) , [RaisedPower] )  AS NUMERIC (38,0) ) ,   CAST([RaisedPower] AS INT) + 2, 0) AS LessRoundingIssues
   , FORMAT(      POWER( CAST(10.0 AS FLOAT(53)) , [RaisedPower] )  , '0')                                                     AS NicelyFormatted

FROM Units
ORDER BY [RaisedPower]

Modified Axel's response a bit as it for certain cases will produce undesirable results.

DECLARE @MyFloat [float];
SET @MyFloat = 1000109360.050;

SELECT REPLACE(RTRIM(REPLACE(REPLACE(RTRIM((REPLACE(CAST(CAST(@MyFloat AS DECIMAL(38,18)) AS VARCHAR(max)), '0', ' '))), ' ', '0'),'.',' ')),' ','.')

Select
cast(replace(convert(decimal(15,2),acs_daily_debit), '.', ',') as varchar(20))

from acs_balance_details

Useful topic thanks.

If you want like me remove leadings zero you can use that :

DECLARE @MyFloat [float];
SET @MyFloat = 1000109360.050;
SELECT REPLACE(RTRIM(REPLACE(REPLACE(RTRIM(LTRIM(REPLACE(STR(@MyFloat, 38, 16), '0', ' '))), ' ', '0'),'.',' ')),' ',',')

Based on molecular's answer:

DECLARE @F FLOAT = 1000000000.1234;
SELECT @F AS Original, CAST(FORMAT(@F, N'#.##############################') AS VARCHAR) AS Formatted;

SET @F = 823399066925.049
SELECT @F AS Original, CAST(@F AS VARCHAR) AS Formatted
UNION ALL SELECT @F AS Original, CONVERT(VARCHAR(128), @F, 128) AS Formatted
UNION ALL SELECT @F AS Original, CAST(FORMAT(@F, N'G') AS VARCHAR) AS Formatted;

SET @F = 0.502184537571209
SELECT @F AS Original, CAST(@F AS VARCHAR) AS Formatted
UNION ALL SELECT @F AS Original, CONVERT(VARCHAR(128), @F, 128) AS Formatted
UNION ALL SELECT @F AS Original, CAST(FORMAT(@F, N'G') AS VARCHAR) AS Formatted;