# Plus operation

Learn how to denote a positive value.

The plus operation indicates that a numeric value is positive. You can use it when you want to specify the sign of a number explicitly or convert a value implicitly to a numeric type.

> **Best practice**
>
> If you just need to convert a value to a number, using the [cast modifier](/reference/cql/expressions/modifiers/other/cast) is a clearer way to express your intent.

You can use the plus operator by placing a `+` sign before a numeric value:

```cql
+/*<operand>*/
```

Here is a practical example:

```cql
+42
```

Note that, since it was already a number, the operation had no effect except to indicate the number's sign.