# Awk is missing ABS - absolute value - so we have to make it. # if you want to do: y=abs(x) # you cant just write the above as abs(x) is a missing function. You have two options (and many more after that) #------------------------------------------# # option1: make a quick abs replacement y=(x<0?-x:x) # it checks if x is negative with x<0 and if it is, it converts it to positive with -x, if x is already positive it just remains as x # option2: make the abs function function abs(value) { return (value<0?-value:value); } # or as a oneliner it would look like this: function abs(value){return (value<0?-value:value);}; #------------------------------------------# # examples of use of option1: echo -50 | awk '{x=$1;y=(x<0?-x:x);print y}' echo 150 | awk '{y=($1<0?-$1:$1);print y}' # examples of use of option2: echo -50 | awk 'function abs(value){return (value<0?-value:value);}; {x=$1;y=abs(x);print y;}' echo 150 | awk 'function abs(value){return (value<0?-value:value);}; {print abs($1);}'