ABS
Supported, behaves as documentedCategory: Math and trigonometry · Last tested 2026-08-06
Real, executed compatibility results for the ABS function across Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and LibreOffice Calc — verified by actually running it. Syntax and links to each vendor’s official documentation are below.
Support matrix
| Engine | Documented | Live-tested | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel | Yes | Not yet | n/a |
| Google Sheets | Yes | Not yet | n/a |
| LibreOffice Calc | Yes | Yes (25.8.7.3, 2026-08-06) | Supported, behaves as documented |
LibreOffice version history
We executed the same test cases under each LibreOffice release to show exactly when ABS’s support changed — not documentation claims, real results.
| LibreOffice version | Verdict | Tested |
|---|---|---|
| 24.2.0.3 | Supported, behaves as documented | 2026-07-19 |
| 24.8.7.2 | Supported, behaves as documented | 2026-07-19 |
| 25.2.0.3 | Supported, behaves as documented | 2026-07-24 |
| 25.8.7.3 | Supported, behaves as documented | 2026-08-06 |
Executed test cases
LibreOffice Calc 25.8.7.3 (tested 2026-08-06)
| Formula | Description | Result | Expected | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =ABS(5) | Positive numbers pass through unchanged | 5 | 5 | Matched |
| =ABS(-5) | Negative numbers become positive | 5 | 5 | Matched |
| =ABS(0) | Zero is its own absolute value | 0 | 0 | Matched |
| =ABS(3-10) | Argument can be any expression evaluating to a number | 7 | 7 | Matched |
| =ABS(A1) | Absolute value of a negative cell reference | 12.5 | 12.5 | Matched |
| =ABS(1/0) | Errors in the argument propagate through ABS unchanged rather than being suppressed | #DIV/0! | #DIV/0! | Matched |
Docs & syntax
- Excel: official documentation
- Google Sheets: official documentation
- LibreOffice Calc: official documentation