Convert interface{} to int

I'm trying to get a value from a JSON and cast it to int but it doesn't work, and I don't know how to do it properly.

Here is the error message:

...cannot convert val (type interface {}) to type int: need type assertion

And the code:

    var f interface{}
    err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(jsonStr), &f)
    if err != nil {
        utility.CreateErrorResponse(w, "Error: failed to parse JSON data.")
        return
    }

    m := f.(map[string]interface{})

    val, ok := m["area_id"]
    if !ok {
        utility.CreateErrorResponse(w, "Error: Area ID is missing from submitted data.")
        return
    }

    fmt.Fprintf(w, "Type = %v", val)   // <--- Type = float64
    iAreaId := int(val)                // <--- Error on this line.
    testName := "Area_" + iAreaId      // not reaching here

Solution 1:

Instead of

iAreaId := int(val)

you want a type assertion:

iAreaId := val.(int)
iAreaId, ok := val.(int) // Alt. non panicking version 

The reason why you cannot convert an interface typed value are these rules in the referenced specs parts:

Conversions are expressions of the form T(x) where T is a type and x is an expression that can be converted to type T.

...

A non-constant value x can be converted to type T in any of these cases:

1. x is assignable to T.
2. x's type and T have identical underlying types.
3. x's type and T are unnamed pointer types and their pointer base types have identical underlying types.
4. x's type and T are both integer or floating point types.
5. x's type and T are both complex types.
6. x is an integer or a slice of bytes or runes and T is a string type.
7. x is a string and T is a slice of bytes or runes.

But

iAreaId := int(val)

is not any of the cases 1.-7.

Solution 2:

I am assuming: If you sent the JSON value through browser then any number you sent that will be the type float64 so you cant get the value directly int in golang.

So do the conversion like:

//As that says: 
fmt.Fprintf(w, "Type = %v", val) // <--- Type = float64

var iAreaId int = int(val.(float64))

This way you can get exact value what you wanted.