azure storage table retrieve rows with correct data types. All values are returned as string instead of their correct type - node.js

Question

Using Node.js with Azure Storage table.
I've created a new table with two fields/keys (CreatedOn and NextRenewalDate) as Int64 values (time since epoch). The entgen correctly identifies the values as Int64 as desired before I save them to the table.
I know Azure documentation says that it stores int64 as string. It has been like that for a loong time.
I have been parsing the values of properties I know are int64 in my app's code after fetching and before using.
I am wondering if that is still the case ? Is there any in built way of getting the correct data type for values when I read them from Azure Storage Tables ?

Answer 1

Only those 8 types are supported by the Table Service Data Model. For more details, please refer to here.
Edm.Binary
Edm.Boolean
Edm.DateTime
Edm.Double
Edm.Guid
Edm.Int32
Edm.Int64
Edm.String
Besides, when we retrieve entities from Azure table, the entity will return as OData JSON format. According to the OData protocol azure table support, Int64 will represent as string. For more details, please refer to here and here

Answer 2

I have not been able to find a built in way to read / convert Azure storage table entities back into json.
So I wrote a quick method, this will work as long as you requested metadata in payload.
const options = {payloadFormat:"application/json;odata=fullmetadata"};
Here is the quick function that might help somebody:
function convertArrayOfEntitiesToJson(arrEntities){
let arrRecords = [];
for(let x=0; x < arrEntities.length; x++){
const entity = arrEntities[x];
let allKeys = Object.keys( entity )
let record = {};
allKeys.forEach(function(key){
if(entity[key]['$'] === "Edm.Int64" )
record[key] = parseInt( entity[key]["_"] );
else if(entity[key]['$'] === "Edm.DateTime" )
record[key] = new Date( entity[key]["_"] );
else if(entity[key]['$'] === "Edm.Boolean" )
record[key] = ( entity[key]["_"] == 'true' );
else if(entity[key]['$'] === "Edm.Boolean" )
record[key] = ( entity[key]["_"] == 'true' );
else // fall back to string
record[key] = entity[key]["_"];
});
arrRecords.push(record);
}
return arrRecords;
}
I'm missing a couple of data types on purpose. I did not have a need for the rest of the types. Feel free to add other data types as needed.