Deriving an Absolute Value

Summary: Want to know the absolute value of a number? It's easy to derive in VBA by using the Abs function. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, Word 2003, and Word 2007.)

VBA provides a function to return the absolute value of an expression. For those who might not remember from math class, an absolute value is the positive equivalent of any expression. Thus, if a formula would normally result in a negative value, such as –27, the absolute value of that formula would result in the positive equivalent, or 27.

The syntax for the absolute value function is as follows:

x = Abs(y)

where x is the result and y is a value or an expression that evaluates to a value.

Tip #1898 applies to Microsoft Word versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

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