MACROMEDIA FLEX-FLEX ACTIONSCRIPT LANGUAGE Reference page 192

parseFloat()
Availability
Flash Player 5.
Usage
parseFloat(string:String) : Number
Parameters
The string to read and convert to a floating-point number.
string
Returns
A number or
NaN
Description
Function; converts a string to a floating-point number. The function reads, or parses, and returns
the numbers in a string until it reaches a character that is not a part of the initial number. If the
string does not begin with a number that can be parsed,
preceding valid integers is ignored, as are trailing nonnumeric characters.
Example
The following examples use the
trace(parseFloat("-2"));
trace(parseFloat("2.5"));
trace(parseFloat(" 2.5"));
trace(parseFloat("3.5e6"));
trace(parseFloat("foobar"));
trace(parseFloat("3.75math")); // output: 3.75
trace(parseFloat("0garbage")); // output: 0
See also
NaN, parseInt()
192 Chapter 5: ActionScript Core Language Elements
ActionScript Core Language Elements
(not a number).
parseFloat()
// output: -2
// output: 2.5
// output: 2.5
// output: 3500000
// output: NaN
parseFloat()
function to evaluate various types of numbers:
CHAPTER 5
returns . White space
NaN