      
    /**
     * JavaScript printf/sprintf functions.
     * 
     * This code has been adapted from the publicly available sprintf methods
     * by Ash Searle. His original header follows:
     *
     *     This code is unrestricted: you are free to use it however you like.
     *     
     *     The functions should work as expected, performing left or right alignment,
     *     truncating strings, outputting numbers with a required precision etc.
     *
     *     For complex cases, these functions follow the Perl implementations of
     *     (s)printf, allowing arguments to be passed out-of-order, and to set the
     *     precision or length of the output based on arguments instead of fixed
     *     numbers.
     *
     *     See http://perldoc.perl.org/functions/sprintf.html for more information.
     *
     *     Implemented:
     *     - zero and space-padding
     *     - right and left-alignment,
     *     - base X prefix (binary, octal and hex)
     *     - positive number prefix
     *     - (minimum) width
     *     - precision / truncation / maximum width
     *     - out of order arguments
     *
     *     Not implemented (yet):
     *     - vector flag
     *     - size (bytes, words, long-words etc.)
     *     
     *     Will not implement:
     *     - %n or %p (no pass-by-reference in JavaScript)
     *
     *     @version 2007.04.27
     *     @author Ash Searle 
     * 
     * You can see the original work and comments on his blog:
     * http://hexmen.com/blog/2007/03/printf-sprintf/
     * http://hexmen.com/js/sprintf.js
     */
     
     /**
      * @Modifications 2009.05.26
      * @author Chris Leonello
      * 
      * Added %p %P specifier
      * Acts like %g or %G but will not add more significant digits to the output than present in the input.
      * Example:
      * Format: '%.3p', Input: 0.012, Output: 0.012
      * Format: '%.3g', Input: 0.012, Output: 0.0120
      * Format: '%.4p', Input: 12.0, Output: 12.0
      * Format: '%.4g', Input: 12.0, Output: 12.00
      * Format: '%.4p', Input: 4.321e-5, Output: 4.321e-5
      * Format: '%.4g', Input: 4.321e-5, Output: 4.3210e-5
      * 
      * Example:
      * >>> $.jqplot.sprintf('%.2f, %d', 23.3452, 43.23)
      * "23.35, 43"
      * >>> $.jqplot.sprintf("no value: %n, decimal with thousands separator: %'d", 23.3452, 433524)
      * "no value: , decimal with thousands separator: 433,524"
      */
    $.jqplot.sprintf = function() {
        function pad(str, len, chr, leftJustify) {
            var padding = (str.length >= len) ? '' : Array(1 + len - str.length >>> 0).join(chr);
            return leftJustify ? str + padding : padding + str;

        }

        function thousand_separate(value) {
            var value_str = new String(value);
            for (var i=10; i>0; i--) {
                if (value_str == (value_str = value_str.replace(/^(\d+)(\d{3})/, "$1"+$.jqplot.sprintf.thousandsSeparator+"$2"))) break;
            }
            return value_str; 
        }

        function justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad, htmlSpace) {
            var diff = minWidth - value.length;
            if (diff > 0) {
                var spchar = ' ';
                if (htmlSpace) { spchar = '&nbsp;'; }
                if (leftJustify || !zeroPad) {
                    value = pad(value, minWidth, spchar, leftJustify);
                } else {
                    value = value.slice(0, prefix.length) + pad('', diff, '0', true) + value.slice(prefix.length);
                }
            }
            return value;
        }

        function formatBaseX(value, base, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad, htmlSpace) {
            // Note: casts negative numbers to positive ones
            var number = value >>> 0;
            prefix = prefix && number && {'2': '0b', '8': '0', '16': '0x'}[base] || '';
            value = prefix + pad(number.toString(base), precision || 0, '0', false);
            return justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad, htmlSpace);
        }

        function formatString(value, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad, htmlSpace) {
            if (precision != null) {
                value = value.slice(0, precision);
            }
            return justify(value, '', leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad, htmlSpace);
        }

        var a = arguments, i = 0, format = a[i++];

        return format.replace($.jqplot.sprintf.regex, function(substring, valueIndex, flags, minWidth, _, precision, type) {
            if (substring == '%%') { return '%'; }

            // parse flags
            var leftJustify = false, positivePrefix = '', zeroPad = false, prefixBaseX = false, htmlSpace = false, thousandSeparation = false;
            for (var j = 0; flags && j < flags.length; j++) switch (flags.charAt(j)) {
                case ' ': positivePrefix = ' '; break;
                case '+': positivePrefix = '+'; break;
                case '-': leftJustify = true; break;
                case '0': zeroPad = true; break;
                case '#': prefixBaseX = true; break;
                case '&': htmlSpace = true; break;
                case '\'': thousandSeparation = true; break;
            }

            // parameters may be null, undefined, empty-string or real valued
            // we want to ignore null, undefined and empty-string values

            if (!minWidth) {
                minWidth = 0;
            } 
            else if (minWidth == '*') {
                minWidth = +a[i++];
            } 
            else if (minWidth.charAt(0) == '*') {
                minWidth = +a[minWidth.slice(1, -1)];
            } 
            else {
                minWidth = +minWidth;
            }

            // Note: undocumented perl feature:
            if (minWidth < 0) {
                minWidth = -minWidth;
                leftJustify = true;
            }

            if (!isFinite(minWidth)) {
                throw new Error('$.jqplot.sprintf: (minimum-)width must be finite');
            }

            if (!precision) {
                precision = 'fFeE'.indexOf(type) > -1 ? 6 : (type == 'd') ? 0 : void(0);
            } 
            else if (precision == '*') {
                precision = +a[i++];
            } 
            else if (precision.charAt(0) == '*') {
                precision = +a[precision.slice(1, -1)];
            } 
            else {
                precision = +precision;
            }

            // grab value using valueIndex if required?
            var value = valueIndex ? a[valueIndex.slice(0, -1)] : a[i++];

            switch (type) {
            case 's': {
                if (value == null) {
                    return '';
                }
                return formatString(String(value), leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad, htmlSpace);
            }
            case 'c': return formatString(String.fromCharCode(+value), leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad, htmlSpace);
            case 'b': return formatBaseX(value, 2, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad,htmlSpace);
            case 'o': return formatBaseX(value, 8, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad, htmlSpace);
            case 'x': return formatBaseX(value, 16, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad, htmlSpace);
            case 'X': return formatBaseX(value, 16, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad, htmlSpace).toUpperCase();
            case 'u': return formatBaseX(value, 10, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad, htmlSpace);
            case 'i': {
              var number = parseInt(+value, 10);
              if (isNaN(number)) {
                return '';
              }
              var prefix = number < 0 ? '-' : positivePrefix;
              var number_str = thousandSeparation ? thousand_separate(String(Math.abs(number))): String(Math.abs(number));
              value = prefix + pad(number_str, precision, '0', false);
              //value = prefix + pad(String(Math.abs(number)), precision, '0', false);
              return justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad, htmlSpace);
                  }
            case 'd': {
              var number = Math.round(+value);
              if (isNaN(number)) {
                return '';
              }
              var prefix = number < 0 ? '-' : positivePrefix;
              var number_str = thousandSeparation ? thousand_separate(String(Math.abs(number))): String(Math.abs(number));
              value = prefix + pad(number_str, precision, '0', false);
              return justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad, htmlSpace);
                  }
            case 'e':
            case 'E':
            case 'f':
            case 'F':
            case 'g':
            case 'G':
                      {
                      var number = +value;
                      if (isNaN(number)) {
                          return '';
                      }
                      var prefix = number < 0 ? '-' : positivePrefix;
                      var method = ['toExponential', 'toFixed', 'toPrecision']['efg'.indexOf(type.toLowerCase())];
                      var textTransform = ['toString', 'toUpperCase']['eEfFgG'.indexOf(type) % 2];
                      var number_str = Math.abs(number)[method](precision);
                      
                      // Apply the decimal mark properly by splitting the number by the
                      //   decimalMark, applying thousands separator, and then placing it
                      //   back in.
                      var parts = number_str.toString().split('.');
                      parts[0] = thousandSeparation ? thousand_separate(parts[0]) : parts[0];
                      number_str = parts.join($.jqplot.sprintf.decimalMark);
                      
                      value = prefix + number_str;
                      var justified = justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad, htmlSpace)[textTransform]();
                      
                      return justified;
                  }
            case 'p':
            case 'P':
            {
                // make sure number is a number
                var number = +value;
                if (isNaN(number)) {
                    return '';
                }
                var prefix = number < 0 ? '-' : positivePrefix;

                var parts = String(Number(Math.abs(number)).toExponential()).split(/e|E/);
                var sd = (parts[0].indexOf('.') != -1) ? parts[0].length - 1 : String(number).length;
                var zeros = (parts[1] < 0) ? -parts[1] - 1 : 0;
                
                if (Math.abs(number) < 1) {
                    if (sd + zeros  <= precision) {
                        value = prefix + Math.abs(number).toPrecision(sd);
                    }
                    else {
                        if (sd  <= precision - 1) {
                            value = prefix + Math.abs(number).toExponential(sd-1);
                        }
                        else {
                            value = prefix + Math.abs(number).toExponential(precision-1);
                        }
                    }
                }
                else {
                    var prec = (sd <= precision) ? sd : precision;
                    value = prefix + Math.abs(number).toPrecision(prec);
                }
                var textTransform = ['toString', 'toUpperCase']['pP'.indexOf(type) % 2];
                return justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad, htmlSpace)[textTransform]();
            }
            case 'n': return '';
            default: return substring;
            }
        });
    };

    $.jqplot.sprintf.thousandsSeparator = ',';
    // Specifies the decimal mark for floating point values. By default a period '.'
    // is used. If you change this value to for example a comma be sure to also
    // change the thousands separator or else this won't work since a simple String
    // replace is used (replacing all periods with the mark specified here).
    $.jqplot.sprintf.decimalMark = '.';
    
    $.jqplot.sprintf.regex = /%%|%(\d+\$)?([-+#0&\' ]*)(\*\d+\$|\*|\d+)?(\.(\*\d+\$|\*|\d+))?([nAscboxXuidfegpEGP])/g;

    $.jqplot.getSignificantFigures = function(number) {
        var parts = String(Number(Math.abs(number)).toExponential()).split(/e|E/);
        // total significant digits
        var sd = (parts[0].indexOf('.') != -1) ? parts[0].length - 1 : parts[0].length;
        var zeros = (parts[1] < 0) ? -parts[1] - 1 : 0;
        // exponent
        var expn = parseInt(parts[1], 10);
        // digits to the left of the decimal place
        var dleft = (expn + 1 > 0) ? expn + 1 : 0;
        // digits to the right of the decimal place
        var dright = (sd <= dleft) ? 0 : sd - expn - 1;
        return {significantDigits: sd, digitsLeft: dleft, digitsRight: dright, zeros: zeros, exponent: expn} ;
    };

    $.jqplot.getPrecision = function(number) {
        return $.jqplot.getSignificantFigures(number).digitsRight;
    };

  
