# The abs(), labs(), llabs() functions in C/C++

C++Server Side ProgrammingProgramming

What are Integer Functions in C Library?

Integer functions are those functions which returns the exact value of an integer. C only supports integer values. In this function the nearest integer which is less than or equal to the argument returns to this function.

Types of Integer functions −

int = abs (int n);
long = labs (long n);
long long = llabs (long long n);

where n = integer value

What is abs(), labs(), llabs() functions ?

They are defined as <cstdlib> (C Standard General Utilities Library) header file. They give the exact value of integer that is input to them as their argument.

abs() function − In C the input is of type ‘int’ whereas in C++ input is of type ‘ int, long int or long long int’. In C the output is of ‘int’ type and in C++ the output has the same data type as input.

Basically the abs function evaluates the absolute value of the given value i.e. value after removing all the signs of negative and positive from the number. Which means it will always return a positive number.

For example,

abs(-43) will give 43 as output as it is created to remove the negative sign.

abs(12) will give 12 as output as there is no sign that need to be removed.

## Example

Live Demo

#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
int a = abs(123);
int b = abs(-986);
cout << "abs(123) = " << a << "\n";
cout << "abs(-986) = " << b << "\n";
return 0;
}

## Output

abs(123) = 123
abs(-986) = 986

labs() function − In this function the type of both the input and output are of long int and this is the long int version of abs() function.

The function is the same as abs() i.e. removing the negative of the number but the difference is this method can handle long values.

For example,

labs(245349384932L) = 245349384932

labs(-34235668687987) = 34235668687987

## Example

Live Demo

#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
long int a = labs(437567342L);
long int b = labs(-8764523L);
cout << "labs(437567342L) = " << a << "\n";
cout << "labs(-8764523L) = " << b << "\n";
return 0;
}

## Output

labs(437567342L) = 437567342
labs(-8764523L) = 8764523

llabs() function − In this function the type of both the input and output are of long long int and this is the long long int version of abs() function.

## Example

Live Demo

#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
long long int a = llabs(9796546325253547656LL);
long long int b = llabs(-1423446557676111567LL);
cout << "llabs(9796546325253547656LL) = " << a << "\n";
cout << "llabs(-1423446557676111567LL) = " << b << "\n";
return 0;
}

## Output

llabs(9796546325253547656LL) = 9796546325253547656
llabs(-1423446557676111567LL) = 1423446557676111567
Updated on 04-Oct-2019 08:00:18