abs in c++ used for

The abs function in C++ is used to calculate the absolute value of a number. It returns the magnitude of a given value without considering its sign. The function is defined in the <cstdlib> header file.

Here are the steps involved in using the abs function in C++:

  1. Include the <cstdlib> header file: To use the abs function, you need to include the <cstdlib> header file in your program. This header file contains the declaration of the abs function.
#include <cstdlib>
  1. Call the abs function: To calculate the absolute value of a number, you need to call the abs function and pass the number as an argument. The function can accept various numeric data types, such as int, long, float, double, etc.
int number = -5;
int absoluteValue = abs(number);

In the above example, the abs function is called with the variable number as an argument. The return value of the function is stored in the variable absoluteValue.

  1. Use the absolute value: Once the abs function is called, it calculates the absolute value of the given number and returns it. You can then use this value in your program as needed.
std::cout << "Absolute value: " << absoluteValue << std::endl;

In the above example, the calculated absolute value is printed to the console using the std::cout statement.

That's it! You have now successfully used the abs function in C++ to calculate the absolute value of a number. Keep in mind that the abs function only returns the magnitude of the number and does not consider its sign.