VTL Velocity Template Language - Problems with type casting - casting

Question

I have written the VTL below to check to see if variables(attributes) I am getting from my PIM system are not blank. If they are set them to zero. Then mathematically add the two variables.
The problem I am having is they must be strings or treated as string. The result of ($FordR12 + $DodgeR12) is the number concatenated. Example: 58 + 58 = 5858 How do I add these strings mathematically as numbers?
#if(${R12 Sales Rev Ford VDSP}== "")
#set($FordR12 = 0)
#else
#set($FordR12 = ${R12 Sales Rev Ford VDSP})
#end
#if(${R12 Sales Rev Dodge VDSP}== "")
#set($DodgeR12 = 0)
#else
#set($DodgeR12 = ${R12 Sales Rev Dodge VDSP})
#end
#set($Total = ($FordR12 + $DodgeR12))
$Total
I have looked online for ways to type cast the variables, including the VTL online documentation. All have failed so far :(

Answer 1

It seems like your variables are strings, which means VTL will concatenate them instead of adding them together.
You can get access to Integer.parseInt and convert them to Integers first, like this:
#set($Integer = 0)
#if(${R12 Sales Rev Ford VDSP} == "")
#set($FordR12 = 0)
#else
#set($FordR12 = $Integer.parseInt(${R12 Sales Rev Ford VDSP}))
#end
#if(${R12 Sales Rev Dodge VDSP} == "")
#set($DodgeR12 = 0)
#else
#set($DodgeR12 = $Integer.parseInt(${R12 Sales Rev Dodge VDSP}))
#end
#set($Total = ($FordR12 + $DodgeR12))
$Total
Though it doesn't appear you're using an AWS service here, here's a Mapping Tool link which is still helpful for trying these things out: https://mappingtool.dev/app/apigateway/b08ed9b630114561134d7a41315d817c
Note that I've changed your variable name because it's not valid in standard VTL.