; This functino allows you to control the string output of a number
; by specifying the number of decimal places displayed (so that zeroes
; are not truncated) and the number of digits before the decimal
; (using FRONT)
;
; K. Bundy 5/25/02
;
; KBundy 4/29/04 - If keyword set /SPACE, then empty space goes in front instead of zeros.


function dplace, arg, place, front = front, space = space


;; Get in the habit of using format codes instead
print
print, '  STOP USING DPLACE:  Use a format code like this instead: '
print, '    - zero padding, with 7 digits in front and 4 after the decimal point: string(agument, format = "(F012.4)") '
print


; Error Checking
if n_params() LT 2 then begin
    message, 'USAGE: dplace, arg, place'
endif

if keyword_set(SPACE) then padchar = ' ' else padchar = '0'

arg_rnd = strcompress(round(arg*10.^place)/10D^place, /remove_all)
d_pos = strpos(arg_rnd, '.')

d_pos_arr = lonarr(1, n_elements(d_pos))  ; We do this so strmid delivers
d_pos_arr[0, *] = d_pos                   ; 1-D array


if place NE 0 then arg_crop = strmid(arg_rnd, 0, d_pos_arr+place+1)
if place EQ 0 then arg_crop = strmid(arg_rnd, 0, d_pos_arr+place)
result = arg_crop


if keyword_set(front) then begin
    for i = 0, n_elements(arg)-1 do begin
        if front GT d_pos[i] then begin
            if place NE 0 then $
              result[i] = strn(arg_crop[i], length = 1+place+front, padtype = 1, padchar = padchar)
            if place EQ 0 then $
              result[i] = strn(arg_crop[i], length = front, padtype = 1, padchar = padchar)
        endif
    endfor
endif


return, result

end