Happy Coders

The abs() function in PHP returns the absolute value of a number.
It removes any negative sign and always returns a non-negative result.
This function works with both integers and floats.
It is commonly used in financial, distance, or mathematical calculations.
For example, abs(-20) returns 20, and abs(5) returns 5.

Syntax

abs(number);

• number – A numeric value (positive or negative)

Example

File Name: abs-example.php

<?php
echo abs(-10);  // ➤ Output: 10
echo abs(25);   // ➤ Output: 25
echo abs(0);    // ➤ Output: 0
?>

Use Cases

• Calculating distances (e.g., difference between 2 values)
• Removing negative signs
• Financial calculations (e.g., absolute profit/loss)

$profit = -500;
echo "Total Loss: " . abs($profit); // ➤ 500

Summary