ABS (SQL)

A numeric function that returns the absolute value of a numeric expression.

Synopsis

ABS(numeric-expression)

{fn ABS(numeric-expression)}

Description

ABS returns the absolute value, which is always zero or a positive number. If numeric-expression is not a number (for example, the string 'abc', or the empty string '') ABS returns 0. ABS returns <null> when passed a NULL value.

Note that ABS can be used as an ODBC scalar function (with the curly brace syntax) or as an SQL general function.

This function can also be invoked from ObjectScript using the ABS()Opens in a new tab method call:

  WRITE $SYSTEM.SQL.Functions.ABS(-0099)

Arguments

numeric-expression

A number whose absolute value is to be returned.

ABS returns the same data type as numeric-expression.

Examples

The following example shows the two forms of ABS:

SELECT ABS(-99) AS AbsGen,{fn ABS(-99)} AS AbsODBC

both returns 99.

The following examples show how ABS handles some other numbers. InterSystems SQL converts numeric-expression to canonical form, deleting leading and trailing zeros and evaluating exponents, before invoking ABS.

SELECT ABS(007) AS AbsoluteValue

returns 7.

SELECT ABS(-0.000) AS AbsoluteValue

returns 0.

SELECT ABS(-99E4) AS AbsoluteValue

returns 990000.

SELECT ABS(-99E-4) AS AbsoluteValue

returns .0099.