Time and Numeric Utilities

Absolute Difference

Absolute value turns a signed difference into a distance from a target.

abs `std::abs` returns the magnitude of a number without its sign.
difference Subtracting two values gives a signed difference; applying absolute value gives distance.

Absolute Difference

measured
absolute_difference.cpp
Replay: real traced execution (multi-file project)
#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>

int main() {
    int measured = -7;

    int target = 5;
    int delta = measured - target;
    int distance = std::abs(delta);

    std::cout << "measured=" << measured << std::endl;
    std::cout << "delta=" << delta << std::endl;
    std::cout << "distance=" << distance << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>

int main() {
    int measured = -12;

    int target = 5;
    int delta = measured - target;
    int distance = std::abs(delta);

    std::cout << "measured=" << measured << std::endl;
    std::cout << "delta=" << delta << std::endl;
    std::cout << "distance=" << distance << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>

int main() {
    int measured = 3;

    int target = 5;
    int delta = measured - target;
    int distance = std::abs(delta);

    std::cout << "measured=" << measured << std::endl;
    std::cout << "delta=" << delta << std::endl;
    std::cout << "distance=" << distance << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

  1. measured ← -7, target ← 5, delta ← -12, distance ← 12

    4int main() {5    int measured→ -7 = -7; //@measured=3, -1267    int target→ 5 = 5;8    int delta→ -12 = measured-7 - target5;9    int distance→ 12 = std::abs(delta-12);1011    std::cout << "measured=" << measured-7 << std::endl;12    std::cout << "delta=" << delta-12 << std::endl;13    std::cout << "distance=" << distance12 << std::endl;14    return 0;15}
    outputmeasured=-7
delta=-12
distance=12

  1. measured ← -12, target ← 5, delta ← -17, distance ← 17

    4int main() {5    int measured→ -12 = -12;67    int target→ 5 = 5;8    int delta→ -17 = measured-12 - target5;9    int distance→ 17 = std::abs(delta-17);1011    std::cout << "measured=" << measured-12 << std::endl;12    std::cout << "delta=" << delta-17 << std::endl;13    std::cout << "distance=" << distance17 << std::endl;14    return 0;15}
    outputmeasured=-12
delta=-17
distance=17

  1. measured ← 3, target ← 5, delta ← -2, distance ← 2

    4int main() {5    int measured→ 3 = 3;67    int target→ 5 = 5;8    int delta→ -2 = measured3 - target5;9    int distance→ 2 = std::abs(delta-2);1011    std::cout << "measured=" << measured3 << std::endl;12    std::cout << "delta=" << delta-2 << std::endl;13    std::cout << "distance=" << distance2 << std::endl;14    return 0;15}
    outputmeasured=3
delta=-2
distance=2