---
title: Cast operators
description: :: provides an alternative syntax to the CAST function. 
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/query-languages/sql/sql-operators-cast
products:
  - Elasticsearch
---

# Cast operators
## `Cast (::)`

`::` provides an alternative syntax to the [`CAST`](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/query-languages/sql/sql-functions-type-conversion#sql-functions-type-conversion-cast) function.
```sql
SELECT '123'::long AS long;

      long
---------------
123
```