ABS Function - SQL

Overview

The ABS function in SQL returns the absolute value of a numeric expression. It is useful for ensuring that the result is always non-negative.

Example:

SELECT ABS(-10)

Syntax:

SELECT ABS(numeric_expression)

numeric_expression is the numeric value for which you want to find the absolute value.

Sample Data:

    
            first_name
            vacation_days
        
            Frank
            5
        
            Jane
            2
        
            Ashley
            3
        
            Glenn
            -3
        
            Kelly
            2
        
            Richard
            -7
        
            George
            2
        
            Kyle
            1
        
            James
            -2
        
            Gustavo
            -10

first_name	vacation_days
Frank	5
Jane	2
Ashley	3
Glenn	-3
Kelly	2
Richard	-7
George	2
Kyle	1
James	-2
Gustavo	-10

Example: Hard-coded value

In this example, we are returning the absolute value of -10 with the final output being 10.

Example: Query without the WHERE Statement

In this example, we are returning the absolute value of the vacation_days column in the company.employees table.

Example: Query with the WHERE Statement

In this example, we are returning the absolute value of the vacation_days column in the company.employees table where the first_name equals ‘Glenn.’