PHP: Significant Numbers
/**
* Formats numbers to the specified number of significant figures.
*
* @author Bevan Rudge, Drupal.geek.nz
*
* @param number $number
* The number to format.
* @param integer $sf
* The number of significant figures to round and format the number to.
* @return string
* The rounded and formatted number.
*/
function format_number_significant_figures($number, $sf) {
// How many decimal places do we round and format to?
// @note May be negative.
$dp = floor($sf - log10(abs($number)));
// Round as a regular number.
$number = round($number, $dp);
// Leave the formatting to format_number(), but always format 0 to 0dp.
return number_format($number, 0 == $number ? 0 : $dp);
}
?>
… and another one ….
round(1241757, -3); // 1242000
RoundSigDigs(1241757, 3); // 1240000
?>
Works on negative numbers too. $sigdigs should be >= 0
function RoundSigDigs($number, $sigdigs) {
$multiplier = 1;
while ($number < 0.1) {
$number *= 10;
$multiplier /= 10;
}
while ($number >= 1) {
$number /= 10;
$multiplier *= 10;
}
return round($number, $sigdigs) * $multiplier;
}
?>