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How to parse float with two decimal places in javascript?

javascript
float-parsing
decimal-places
performance-optimization
Alex KataevbyAlex KataevยทAug 28, 2024
โšกTLDR

Are you in a rush? Have a quick look here. Use parseFloat() function to convert your number to a float. Then, chain .toFixed(2) method to round it to two decimal places.

let speedyGonzalez = parseFloat('123.456').toFixed(2); // '123.46', that was fast, right? ๐Ÿš€

parseFloat() does the conversion job, while .toFixed(2) is your trimming master.

Performance considerations

Performance is key, and every millisecond counts. Keep the performance car running by using Math.round() technique to maintain the number type and avoid the string conversion that toFixed() brings.

let number = Math.round(parseFloat('123.456') * 100) / 100; // 123.46, and performance remains unharmed! ๐ŸŽฏ

Handling different precision values

When the requirement is to handle numbers of different decimal precision, it's handy to have a custom method like the following:

Number.prototype.round = function(precision) { let factor = Math.pow(10, precision); return Math.round(this * factor) / factor; }; let roundAndProud = parseFloat('123.456').round(2); // 123.46. Now, that's precision! ๐ŸŽฉ๐Ÿ”

In-depth application scenarios

Handling floating-point arithmetic issues

With floating-point numbers, be mindful of precision challenges, sometimes, toFixed() might act like a mischievous imp!

(0.1 + 0.2).toFixed(2); // "0.30", can be misleading, right?

Avoid precision pitfalls by doing the calculations first, rounding comes later.

Formatting currency amounts

Precision is Mr.Important when dealing with money matters. Intl.NumberFormat is our currency hero:

let formatter = new Intl.NumberFormat('en-US', { style: 'currency', currency: 'USD', minimumFractionDigits: 2, }); let moneyTalks = formatter.format(123456.789); // "$123,456.79", hey big spender! ๐Ÿ’ต

Parsing special numbers with care

Handle different inputs like integers and strings elegantly. You wouldn't want unnecessary decimals for integer inputs:

parseFloat('100').toFixed(2); // "100.00", a bit overzealous, don't you think?

In case you are dealing with strings that look like a currency notation, ensure to parse the number correctly:

parseFloat('$123,456.78'.replace(/[^\d.-]/g, '')).toFixed(2); // "123456.78" - no more dollar signs, clean as a whistle!