MySQL ABS Function: Find Absolute Value

MySQL ABS (Absolute Value) function is a mathematical function that returns the absolute (positive) value of a given number. The ABS function can be used with integer, float, or decimal values.

Here's a tutorial on using the MySQL ABS function:

1. Syntax

The syntax for the ABS function is:

ABS(number)

Where number is the value you want to find the absolute value for.

2. Examples

Let's start with some basic examples of the ABS function.

a. Using ABS with a positive number

SELECT ABS(5);

Result:

b. Using ABS with a negative number

SELECT ABS(-7);

Result:

c. Using ABS with a floating-point number

SELECT ABS(-3.14);

Result:

3.14

3. Using ABS function in a table

Let's assume we have the following orders table:

+----+--------+--------+--------+
| id | price  | profit | user_id|
+----+--------+--------+--------+
|  1 |   10.0 |  -2.00 |      1 |
|  2 |  -20.0 |  10.00 |      2 |
|  3 |   15.0 |  -4.00 |      1 |
|  4 |   30.0 |   5.00 |      3 |
+----+--------+--------+--------+

a. Select all records with absolute values for price and profit

SELECT id, ABS(price) AS abs_price, ABS(profit) AS abs_profit, user_id FROM orders;

Result:

+----+-----------+-----------+--------+
| id | abs_price | abs_profit| user_id|
+----+-----------+-----------+--------+
|  1 |      10.0 |      2.00 |      1 |
|  2 |      20.0 |     10.00 |      2 |
|  3 |      15.0 |      4.00 |      1 |
|  4 |      30.0 |      5.00 |      3 |
+----+-----------+-----------+--------+

b. Calculate the total absolute profit per user

SELECT user_id, SUM(ABS(profit)) AS total_abs_profit FROM orders GROUP BY user_id;

Result:

+--------+----------------+
| user_id| total_abs_profit|
+--------+----------------+
|      1 |           6.00 |
|      2 |          10.00 |
|      3 |           5.00 |
+--------+----------------+

In this tutorial, you learned how to use the MySQL ABS function to calculate the absolute value of numbers, both for individual values and within table data. This function can be helpful when you want to analyze data without considering its sign.

How to use ABS function in MySQL:
- The ABS function in MySQL is used to calculate the absolute value of a numeric expression.
```
SELECT ABS(-5) AS absolute_value;
```
MySQL ABS function examples:
- Examples of using ABS function in MySQL:
```
SELECT ABS(-10) AS result1, ABS(5.75) AS result2;
```
Finding absolute value in MySQL:
- Use ABS to find the absolute value of a number:
```
SELECT ABS(column_name) FROM table_name;
```
ABS function in MySQL with negative numbers:
- ABS handles negative numbers by converting them to positive:
```
SELECT ABS(-8) AS absolute_value;
```
Absolute value calculation in MySQL:
- Calculate absolute values with ABS in mathematical expressions:
```
SELECT ABS(column1 - column2) AS absolute_difference FROM table_name;
```
ABS function in MySQL for integers and decimals:
- ABS works for both integers and decimals:
```
SELECT ABS(15) AS abs_integer, ABS(7.25) AS abs_decimal;
```
Use cases for ABS function in MySQL queries:
- Use ABS in queries where absolute values are required, such as distance calculations or difference comparisons.
```
SELECT * FROM products WHERE ABS(price - target_price) < 5;
```
ABS function in MySQL for positive and negative numbers:
- ABS converts negative numbers to positive and leaves positive numbers unchanged:
```
SELECT ABS(-3) AS positive, ABS(8) AS unchanged;
```
Mathematical operations with ABS in MySQL:
- Use ABS in mathematical expressions:
```
SELECT ABS(column1 + column2) AS sum_absolute FROM table_name;
```
MySQL ABS function in WHERE clause:
- Apply ABS in the WHERE clause for conditional filtering:
```
SELECT * FROM data WHERE ABS(column_name) > 10;
```
ABS function in MySQL for float and double values:
- ABS works for float and double values:
```
SELECT ABS(-15.75) AS abs_float, ABS(-8.625) AS abs_double;
```