iAPX86 code for ABS (using Microsoft C?)

[Erik Liljencrantz]

I remember a review of Microsoft's C compiler for MS-DOS that stated it
produced no-conditional-jump-abs-code. The function to convert an integer
to a positive integer was performed without a conditional jump (i.e. JS or
something). I'm very interested in this piece of code, so if someone
who does have a Microsoft C-compiler could try something like
  main()
  { int a,b;
    a=-10;
    b=abs(a);
  }
and take a close look at the assembly code generated, I would appreciate
that. This kind of reversed engineering (or what is it?) can't be illegal
as it actually was published in a magazine some time ago (maybe two years
so it must have been Microsoft C version 4.00 that was reviewed...)

By the way, is there a forum for assembly language on Intel processors?

Thanks in advance,
  Erik Liljencrantz
  d88-eli at nada.kth.se    <= Answer by mail and I'll summarize...