How to convert a binary string to an integer or a float?

Question

I have binary strings in the form of either:

<<"5.7778345">>

or

<<"444555">>
         


        

Answer 1

No quick way to do it. Use something like this instead:

bin_to_num(Bin) ->
    N = binary_to_list(Bin),
    case string:to_float(N) of
        {error,no_float} -> list_to_integer(N);
        {F,_Rest} -> F
    end.

This should convert the binary to a list (string), then try to fit it in a float. When that can't be done, we return an integer. Otherwise, we keep the float and return that.