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\nI started my technology writing career at a computer book publishing house, CompuSoft. It’s no longer around, but I do recall ghost writing books such as the BASIC Handbook<\/em>, which was an encyclopedia of the BASIC programming language. The first command listed in this book was
ABS<\/code>.
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\nThe ABS<\/code> command returns the absolute value of an integer, which is its positive value: ABS(5)<\/code> is 5. ABS(-200)<\/code> is 200.<\/p>\nI’ve seen absolute values used when dealing with exponentiation as some calculations result in both positive and negative values. Whatever. Still, it’s easier for me to explain how to write a C program to calculate that absolute value than it is for me to understand math.<\/p>\n
Before you protest, I know that the C library hosts a slate of absolute value functions. These depend on the integer size:<\/p>\n
abs()<\/em> for int<\/em> values
\nlabs()<\/em> for long<\/em> values
\nllabs()<\/em> for long long<\/em> values<\/p>\nDo not use any of these functions for your solution to this exercise! Instead, your challenge is to write a program that prompts the user for an integer (int<\/em>) value and outputs its absolute value.<\/p>\nHere’s are some sample runs of my solution:<\/p>\n
Enter an integer: 5
\nThe absolute value is 5<\/p>\nEnter an integer: -200
\nThe absolute value is 200<\/code><\/p>\n
This task may not seem too difficult (hence only one star), but a quirk exists when returning the value of some negative integers. I share this quirk along with my solution<\/a>, but please try this exercise on your own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The absolute value of a number is its positive value. Continue reading