PRB: CONVERTing Character to an Integer Causes Syntax Error

ID Number: Q47180

1.00 1.10 1.11 4.20

OS/2

Summary:

SYMPTOMS

According to the "Microsoft SQL Server Language Reference," you

can convert from a character to an integer. However, the

following statement

select convert(int,'A')

causes the following error:

syntax err converting char value 'A' to an INT4 field.

CAUSE

A convert() from a char to an integer can only be done if it

"makes sense." For example, you can convert the character "1"

(one) to an integer, but you cannot conevrt the letter "A".

For example

select convert(int,'1')

returns 1 as expected.

RESOLUTION

To return the ASCII numerical representation of a letter, use

the ascii() function. For example

select ascii('A')

returns 65.

Additional reference words: Transact-SQL