JavaScript Variable Type Conversions
// FROM: http://samuli.hakoniemi.net/10-small-things-you-may-not-know-about-javascript/
var myVar = "3.14159",
str = ""+ myVar,// to string
int = ~~myVar, // to integer
float = 1*myVar, // to float
bool = !!myVar, // to boolean - any string with length and any number except 0 are true
array = [myVar]; // to array