Ability to Change Field Type

[CourtneyStephans]

It would be helpful to be able to edit the field type. For example, when initially setting up a form the field type selected was a text field but after collecting data, we realized we needed only numbers. We can only create a new field to collect numbers only but to keep existing data it is now split in 2 columns. It would be nice to keep the data in 1 column by simply being able to edit the field type.

[MErikReedAugusta]

The biggest issue I see here would be the necessity of how to handle those existing values that would no longer fit the new data type.

It would seem to me the cleaner/safer option would be to create the new field, carry the values over converting as necessary to whatever the equivalent numeric value would have been, and then continuing forward with the numeric field.

[ZenMasterZeke]

Agree with @MErikReedAugusta . A number in Text data type isn't just a number with quotes around it. Who knows, you might get the ASCII values. Converting & copying data to the new field is a much better way to go.

If you don't need to perform any math operations on the values, it's probably irrelevant whether the data type is Text or a numeric type.

Pro has an Alter Field tool, but it's mostly used to change field names and aliases. You can change the datatype, but only in an empty table.

[BrandonA_CDPH]

Within the limitations of data types, I agree that this would be very helpful. The data type of the field can dictate how they appear or dashboards, in the Survey123 Field App, etc. I would even be okay if it wouldn't do it, but specify the data that doesn't fit or provide a way to review the data before converting. This would allow me to go through and update/edit the non-conforming data then complete the conversion.