ABS or ABSVAL

The ABS function returns the absolute value of a number.

Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagram ABSANSVAL (expression)
expression
An expression that returns a value of any built-in numeric, character-string, or graphic-string data type. A string argument is cast to double-precision floating point before evaluating the function. For more information about converting strings to double-precision floating point, see DOUBLE_PRECISION or DOUBLE.
The data type of the result is the same as the data type of the argument values except that the result is:
  • A double-precision floating point if the argument values are single-precision floating point
  • A large integer if the argument values are small integers
  • A decimal with precision mp and scale s if the argument values are decimal or nonzero scale binary numbers with precision p and scale s.

Note

Results involving DECFLOAT special values: For decimal floating-point values, the special values are treated as follows:
  • ABS(NaN) and ABS(-NaN) return NaN.
  • ABS(Infinity) and ABS(-Infinity) return Infinity.
  • ABS(sNaN) and ABS(-sNaN) return sNaN.

Example

  • Assume the host variable PROFIT is a large integer with a value of -50000. 
       SELECT ABS(:PROFIT)
     FROM SYSIBM.SYSDUMMY1
    Returns the value 50000.