How do I convert a float number to a whole number in JavaScript?

Bitwise OR operator

A bitwise or operator can be used to truncate floating point figures and it works for positives as well as negatives:

function float2int (value) {
    return value | 0;
}

Results

float2int(3.1) == 3
float2int(-3.1) == -3
float2int(3.9) == 3
float2int(-3.9) == -3

Performance comparison?

I've created a JSPerf test that compares performance between:

• Math.floor(val)
• val | 0 ^{bitwise OR}
• ~~val ^{bitwise NOT}
• parseInt(val)

that only works with positive numbers. In this case you're safe to use bitwise operations well as Math.floor function.

But if you need your code to work with positives as well as negatives, then a bitwise operation is the fastest (OR being the preferred one). This other JSPerf test compares the same where it's pretty obvious that because of the additional sign checking Math is now the slowest of the four.

Note

As stated in comments, BITWISE operators operate on signed 32bit integers, therefore large numbers will be converted, example:

1234567890  | 0 => 1234567890
12345678901 | 0 => -539222987

var intvalue = Math.floor( floatvalue );
var intvalue = Math.ceil( floatvalue ); 
var intvalue = Math.round( floatvalue );

// `Math.trunc` was added in ECMAScript 6
var intvalue = Math.trunc( floatvalue );

Math object reference

---

Examples

Positive

// value=x        //  x=5          5<x<5.5      5.5<=x<6  

Math.floor(value) //  5            5            5
Math.ceil(value)  //  5            6            6
Math.round(value) //  5            5            6
Math.trunc(value) //  5            5            5
parseInt(value)   //  5            5            5
~~value           //  5            5            5
value | 0         //  5            5            5
value >> 0        //  5            5            5
value >>> 0       //  5            5            5
value - value % 1 //  5            5            5

Negative

// value=x        // x=-5         -5>x>=-5.5   -5.5>x>-6

Math.floor(value) // -5           -6           -6
Math.ceil(value)  // -5           -5           -5
Math.round(value) // -5           -5           -6
Math.trunc(value) // -5           -5           -5
parseInt(value)   // -5           -5           -5
value | 0         // -5           -5           -5
~~value           // -5           -5           -5
value >> 0        // -5           -5           -5
value >>> 0       // 4294967291   4294967291   4294967291
value - value % 1 // -5           -5           -5

Positive - Larger numbers

// x = Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER/10 // =900719925474099.1

// value=x            x=900719925474099    x=900719925474099.4  x=900719925474099.5
           
Math.floor(value) //  900719925474099      900719925474099      900719925474099
Math.ceil(value)  //  900719925474099      900719925474100      900719925474100
Math.round(value) //  900719925474099      900719925474099      900719925474100
Math.trunc(value) //  900719925474099      900719925474099      900719925474099
parseInt(value)   //  900719925474099      900719925474099      900719925474099
value | 0         //  858993459            858993459            858993459
~~value           //  858993459            858993459            858993459
value >> 0        //  858993459            858993459            858993459
value >>> 0       //  858993459            858993459            858993459
value - value % 1 //  900719925474099      900719925474099      900719925474099

Negative - Larger numbers

// x = Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER/10 * -1 // -900719925474099.1

// value = x      // x=-900719925474099   x=-900719925474099.5 x=-900719925474099.6

Math.floor(value) // -900719925474099     -900719925474100     -900719925474100
Math.ceil(value)  // -900719925474099     -900719925474099     -900719925474099
Math.round(value) // -900719925474099     -900719925474099     -900719925474100
Math.trunc(value) // -900719925474099     -900719925474099     -900719925474099
parseInt(value)   // -900719925474099     -900719925474099     -900719925474099
value | 0         // -858993459           -858993459           -858993459
~~value           // -858993459           -858993459           -858993459
value >> 0        // -858993459           -858993459           -858993459
value >>> 0       //  3435973837           3435973837           3435973837
value - value % 1 // -900719925474099     -900719925474099     -900719925474099

A double bitwise not operator can be used to truncate floats. The other operations you mentioned are available through Math.floor, Math.ceil, and Math.round.

> ~~2.5
2
> ~~(-1.4)
-1

More details courtesy of James Padolsey.

Note: You cannot use Math.floor() as a replacement for truncate, because Math.floor(-3.1) = -4 and not -3 !!

A correct replacement for truncate would be:

function truncate(value)
{
    if (value < 0) {
        return Math.ceil(value);
    }

    return Math.floor(value);
}