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

Intermediate conversion to list is unnecessary since Erlang/OTP R16B:

-spec binary_to_number(binary()) -> float() | integer().
binary_to_number(B) ->
    try binary_to_float(B)
    catch
        error:badarg -> binary_to_integer(B)
    end.