When should the abs() function be used instead of the * -1 method in PHP?

The abs() function should be used instead of the * -1 method in PHP when you want to get the absolute value of a number. The abs() function is more readable and explicitly conveys the intention of getting the absolute value, whereas multiplying by -1 can be confusing. Additionally, the abs() function is more efficient and less error-prone compared to using the * -1 method.

// Using abs() function to get the absolute value of a number
$number = -5;
$absoluteValue = abs($number);
echo $absoluteValue; // Output: 5