[mongodb] how to convert string to numerical values in mongodb

Though $toInt is really useful, it was added on mongoDB 4.0, I've run into this same situation in a database running 3.2 which upgrading to use $toInt was not an option due to some other application incompatibilities, so i had to come up with something else, and actually was surprisingly simple.

If you $project and $add zero to your string, it will turn into a number

{
  $project : {
  'convertedField' : { $add : ["$stringField",0] },
  //more fields here...
  }
}