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Overview

The ABS() function returns an absolute number, i.e., the positive value of a number. The data type of the returned value will depend on the data type of the value passed to the ABS() function.

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Syntax

The syntax for the ABS() function is as follows: 
ABS(x)
The ABS() function requires one argument:
  • x: An expression that evaluates to a number.
The ABS() function will return the negation of the negative numbers.

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Examples

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Case #1: Absolute value of a negative number

The following example demonstrates how the ABS() function can be used to obtain the absolute value of a negative number: 
SELECT ABS(-10.25);
It will return an absolute value of the passed argument: 
+--------+
| f      | 
+--------+
| 10.25  |
+--------+

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Case #2: ABS() function with an expression

The following example demonstrates how the ABS() function can be used with an expression to obtain the absolute value of the result: 
SELECT ABS( 100 - 250);
The result of the above statement is -150. However, you will get the output 150, as 150 is the positive version of -150. 
+------+
| f    | 
+------+
| 150  |
+------+

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Case #3: Using the ABS() function with a table

The following example demonstrates how the ABS() function can be used with a table to obtain the absolute values of all numbers in a specific column:
  1. First, create a table named absTable containing an initialValue column with some positive and negative values:
CREATE TABLE absTable(initialValue float);

INSERT INTO absTable(initialValue)
VALUES 
(550),
(-210), 
(72.12),
(-87.93),
(-0.0);
  1. Next, use the following query to find the absolute value of all numbers:
SELECT initialValue, ABS(initialValue) AS absoluteValue
FROM absTable;
  1. The above query will retrieve all values in the “initialValue” column and their absolute values in the “absoluteValue” column. The output will look something like this:
+---------------+----------------+
| initialValue  | absoluteValue  |
+---------------+----------------+
| 550           | 550            |
| -210          | 210            |
| 72.12         | 72.12          |
| 87.93         | 87.93          |
| -0            | 0              |
+---------------+----------------+