# Val

Converts numeric characters and the first period found that occur at the beginning of a string to a number.

A period not accompianied by at least one numeric digit will be ignored. If no numeric digits are found at the start of the string, zero will be returned.

## Method Signature

```
Val(string=[string])
```

### Arguments

| Argument | Type     | Required | Description         | Default |
| -------- | -------- | -------- | ------------------- | ------- |
| `string` | `string` | `true`   | The string to parse |         |

## Examples

### Numeric characters at beginning and middle of a string

[Run Example](https://try.boxlang.io/?code=eJwrS8zRUFAyNDIoSS0uMTQqLi4pysxLV1LQtOYCAHXFCB4%3D)

```java
val( "120test12sstring" );

```

Result: 120

### Numeric characters only at the end of a string

[Run Example](https://try.boxlang.io/?code=eJwrS8zRUFAqLinKzEu3tFBS0LTmAgA9cAVm)

```java
val( "string98" );

```

Result: 0

### Additional Examples

[Run Example](https://try.boxlang.io/?code=eJxLKc0t0FAIS8zRUFAyNDI2UfBNzMxTCC7RU1LQVNC0VtDXVwAJc6UgqYMp0QFLIRQaoKgCyumZmJqhmAMSQFGEUzOSNhSJ%2FLxUPBaGwC3kgtrIBQBiHjMQ)

```java
dump( Val( "1234 Main St." ) ); // 1234
dump( Val( "Main St., 1234" ) ); // 0
dump( Val( "123.456" ) ); // 123.456
dump( Val( "" ) ); // 0
dump( Val( "1" ) ); // 1
dump( Val( "one" ) ); // 0
dump( Val( "123T456" ) );
 // 123

```

## Related

* [Ascii](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/ascii)
* [CamelCase](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/camelcase)
* [Char](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/char)
* [CharsetDecode](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/charsetdecode)
* [CharsetEncode](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/charsetencode)
* [Compare](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/compare)
* [CompareNoCase](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/comparenocase)
* [Find](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/find)
* [FindNoCase](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/findnocase)
* [FindOneOf](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/findoneof)
* [Insert](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/insert)
* [JSStringFormat](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/jsstringformat)
* [Justify](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/justify)
* [KebabCase](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/kebabcase)
* [LCase](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/lcase)
* [Left](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/left)
* [ListReduce](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/listreduce)
* [LJustify](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/ljustify)
* [LTrim](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/ltrim)
* [Mid](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/mid)
* [ParagraphFormat](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/paragraphformat)
* [PascalCase](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/pascalcase)
* [QueryStringToStruct](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/querystringtostruct)
* [ReEscape](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/reescape)
* [ReFind](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/refind)
* [reFindNoCase](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/refindnocase)
* [ReMatch](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/rematch)
* [reMatchNoCase](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/rematchnocase)
* [RemoveChars](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/removechars)
* [RepeatString](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/repeatstring)
* [Replace](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/replace)
* [ReplaceList](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/replacelist)
* [ReplaceListNoCase](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/replacelistnocase)
* [ReplaceNoCase](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/replacenocase)
* [ReReplace](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/rereplace)
* [reReplaceNoCase](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/rereplacenocase)
* [Reverse](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/reverse)
* [Right](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/right)
* [RJustify](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/rjustify)
* [RTrim](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/rtrim)
* [Slugify](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/slugify)
* [SnakeCase](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/snakecase)
* [SpanExcluding](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/spanexcluding)
* [SpanIncluding](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/spanincluding)
* [SQLPrettify](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/sqlprettify)
* [StringBind](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/stringbind)
* [StringEach](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/stringeach)
* [StringEvery](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/stringevery)
* [StringFilter](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/stringfilter)
* [StringMap](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/stringmap)
* [StringReduce](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/stringreduce)
* [StringReduceRight](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/stringreduceright)
* [StringSome](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/stringsome)
* [StringSort](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/stringsort)
* [StripCR](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/stripcr)
* [Trim](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/trim)
* [TrueFalseFormat](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/truefalseformat)
* [UCase](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/ucase)
* [UCFirst](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/ucfirst)
* [Wrap](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/wrap)
* [YesNoFormat](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/string/yesnoformat)