Filtered Strings in Data Workflow

The Filter operator in the Data Workflow component lets you filter data based on matching values. When a field contains only numbers, the Filter operator might evaluate the value as a number instead of text. When this occurs, the filter finds no match even when the value is present in the data. This is most common with values like IDs, postal codes, or account numbers, which look numeric but must be treated as text for the filter to match correctly.

Describe the filtering issue to the Build Agent. The agent can identify whether the problem is a type mismatch and suggest the appropriate formula for the configuration.

Two approaches resolve this. Use the artificial letter approach when the filter value is always a string. Use the formula approach when the value entering the argument port might be a number or a string depending on the pipeline context.

Adding an Artificial Letter to the Argument

Adding a letter to the beginning of the number string forces the Filter operator to read it as text. For example, instead of filtering on 12345, filter on T12345. Add a Formula operator before the Filter and use CONCATENATE to add the prefix.

Configure the Formula operator with the following settings:

A represents the value entering the Formula operator's input port — the number string to prefix.

Converting a Number to a String Using a Formula

If the argument might be a number or a string depending on context, use IF, ISNUMBER, and STRINGIFY to handle both cases. Add a Formula operator before the Filter and configure it with this formula. The formula checks whether the argument is a number; if so, it converts the value to a string before filtering. If the argument is already a string, the filter runs as-is.

Configure the Formula operator with the following settings: