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    Platform For AI:Type conversion

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    Platform For AI:Type conversion

    Last Updated:Mar 05, 2026

    Type Conversion is a data processing component that converts features from any data type to STRING, DOUBLE, or INT. This component also fills missing values when a conversion error occurs to ensure data integrity and consistency.

    Algorithm description

    • Converts the data type of a table field to another type.

    • Simultaneously converts multiple fields to different data types.

    • Converts fields of ODPS 2.0 numeric data types, such as decimal, float, and int.

      Note

      This feature is available only in the China (Beijing), China (Shanghai), China (Hangzhou), China (Shenzhen), China (Zhangjiakou), and China (Chengdu) regions.

    • Provides an option to keep the original data columns.

    Component Configuration

    Method 1: Visual configuration

    In the Designer workflow, add the Type Conversion component and configure its parameters in the right-side pane:

    Parameter type

    Parameter

    Description

    Field Settings

    Columns to convert to DOUBLE

    Converts the selected field to the DOUBLE type.

    Default fill value for DOUBLE conversion errors

    The default value to use if the conversion to the DOUBLE type fails.

    Columns to convert to INT

    Converts the selected field to the INT type.

    Default fill value for INT conversion errors

    The default value to use if the conversion to the INT type fails.

    Columns to convert to STRING

    Converts the selected field to the STRING type.

    Default fill value for STRING conversion errors

    The default value to use if the conversion to the STRING type fails.

    Keep Original Columns

    The prefix for column names is "typed_".

    Memory Size per Node

    Value range: 1024 MB to 65536 MB.

    Number of Nodes

    Used in conjunction with the Memory size per node parameter. Value range: 1 to 9999.

    Method 2: PAI command

    You can use a PAI command to configure the Type Conversion component. You can run PAI commands using a SQL Script component. For more information, see SQL Script.

    pai -project algo_public
    -name type_transform_v1
    -DinputTable=type_test
    -Dcols_to_string="f0"
    -Ddefault_double_value=0.0
    -DoutputTable=type_test_output;

    Parameter

    Required

    Default value

    Description

    inputTable

    Yes

    None

    The name of the input table.

    inputTablePartitions

    No

    All partitions

    The partitions in the input table to use for training. The following formats are supported:

    • Partition_name=value

    • name1=value1/name2=value2: a multi-level format

    Note

    If you specify multiple partitions, separate them with commas (,).

    outputTable

    Yes

    None

    The sink table for the type conversion results.

    reserveOldFeat

    No

    None

    Specifies whether to keep the original data columns.

    cols_to_double

    No

    None

    The feature columns to convert to the DOUBLE type.

    cols_to_string

    No

    None

    The feature columns to convert to the STRING type.

    cols_to_int

    No

    None

    The feature columns to convert to the INT type.

    default_int_value

    No

    0

    The value to use when a feature field is empty.

    default_double_value

    No

    0.0

    The value to use when a feature field is empty.

    default_string_value

    No

    ""

    The value to use when a feature field is empty.

    coreNum

    No

    Calculated automatically

    The number of nodes. Use this parameter with memSizePerCore. Value range: 1 to 9999.

    memSizePerCore

    No

    Calculated automatically

    The memory size of a single node, in MB. Value range: 1024 to 65536.

    lifecycle

    No

    7

    The lifecycle of the output table.

    Example

    • Generate test data

      create table transform_test as
select * from
(
select true as f0,2.0 as f1,1 as f2 union all
select false as f0,3.0 as f1,1 as f2 union all
select false as f0,4.0 as f1,1 as f2 union all
select true as f0,3.0 as f1,1 as f2 union all
select false as f0,3.0 as f1,1 as f2 union all
select false as f0,4.0 as f1,1 as f2 union all
select true as f0,3.0 as f1,1 as f2 union all
select false as f0,5.0 as f1,1 as f2 union all
select false as f0,3.0 as f1,1 as f2 union all
select true as f0,4.0 as f1,1 as f2 union all
select false as f0,3.0 as f1,1 as f2 union all
select true as f0,4.0 as f1,1 as f2
)tmp;

    • View the training data

      f0

      f1

      f2

      false

      3.0

      1

      false

      3.0

      1

      true

      2.0

      1

      true

      4.0

      1

      false

      4.0

      1

      false

      3.0

      1

      false

      3.0

      1

      true

      3.0

      1

      false

      4.0

      1

      true

      4.0

      1

      false

      5.0

      1

      true

      3.0

      1

    • PAI training command

      pai -project projectxlib4
    -name type_transform_v1
    -DinputTable=transform_test
    -Dcols_to_double=f0
    -Dcols_to_int=f1
    -Dcols_to_string=f2
    -DoutputTable=trans_test_output;

    • Output description

      Result table

      f0

      f1

      f2

      0.0

      3

      1

      0.0

      3

      1

      1.0

      2

      1

      1.0

      4

      1

      0.0

      4

      1

      0.0

      3

      1

      1.0

      3

      1

      0.0

      4

      1

      0.0

      3

      1

      0.0

      5

      1

      1.0

      3

      1

      1.0

      4

      1