You can use the ABS function in SAS to return the absolute value of a given number.
This function uses the following basic syntax:
ABS(argument)
where:
- argument: A numeric value
The following example shows how to use this function to calculate absolute values in practice.
Example: How to Calculate Absolute Values in SAS
Suppose we have the following dataset in SAS:
/*create dataset*/
data original_data;
input values;
datalines;
100
-40
0
50
23.5
-1.44
-0.54
12
18
-22
;
run;
/*view dataset*/
proc print data=original_data;
We can use the ABS function to calculate the absolute value of each numeric value in the values column:
/*create new dataset*/
data new_data;
set original_data;
abs_values = abs(values);
run;
/*view new dataset*/
proc print data=new_data;
Notice that the new column called abs_values contains the absolute value of each numeric value from the values column.
For example:
- The absolute value of 100.00 is 100.00.
- The absolute value of -40.00 is 40.00.
- The absolute value of 0.00 is 0.00.
And so on.
Additional Resources
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in SAS:
How to Round Numbers in SAS
How to Use the CEIL Function in SAS
How to Use the FLOOR Function in SAS