Type cast

Casts scalar data type to each other or fails:

• integer
• float
• binary
• list
• atom
• time stamp triple {integer(), integer(), integer()}

The typecast interface re-uses a type field notation of printf format string due to historical reasons.

• i - casts to signed decimal number (integer).
• f - casts to double in normal (fixed-point) notation
• x - casts to hexadecimal number using lower-case letters
• s - casts to "string", the library uses binary for string representation
• ls - casts to wide "string"
• c - casts to list of characters
• lc - casts to wide "string"
• a - casts to existing atom
• atom - casts to atom, create new if do not exists
• t - casts to time stamp triple