Define non-throwing type conversion behavior for invalid values

Hi,

when trying to convert values like String to Double and there is an invalid value, an error is thrown. Maybe change this behaviour to convert invalid values to NA or null, or add functions that have different behaviours like toDoubleOrNull() or toDoubleOrNa().

Thanks!

Problem

Current type conversion throws when encountering invalid values (e.g. String → Double).

In real datasets, invalid values are common, and users often need to:

• convert valid values
• handle invalid ones gracefully (e.g. as null)

Design question

What should be the standard non-throwing behavior for conversions?

Options:

• provide toXOrNull() style APIs
• provide configurable conversion mode (throw vs null/NA)
• keep only explicit APIs without changing defaults

Expected

Define a consistent approach for non-throwing conversions.

Acceptance criteria

• Decision made on API design for non-throwing conversions
• Chosen approach is:
  • implemented, or
  • explicitly rejected and documented
• Behavior for invalid values is clearly defined
• Documentation explains available conversion modes

Motivation

Type conversion is a core data-cleaning operation.

Without a defined approach, users must implement custom parsing logic, leading to inconsistent usage.

This behavior should be clearly defined before 1.0 API stabilization.