php man page for str_pad

STR_PAD(3)								 1								STR_PAD(3)

str_pad - Pad a string to a certain length with another string

SYNOPSIS
       string str_pad (string  $input, int  $pad_length, [string  $pad_string = " "], [int  $pad_type = STR_PAD_RIGHT])

DESCRIPTION
	This  functions  returns  the  $input string padded on the left, the right, or both sides to the specified padding length. If the optional
       argument $pad_string is not supplied, the $input is padded with spaces, otherwise it is padded with characters from $pad_string up  to  the
       limit.

PARAMETERS
	      o $input
		- The input string.

	      o $pad_length
		- If the value of $pad_length is negative, less than, or equal to the length of the input string, no padding takes place.

	      o $pad_string
		-

	      Note

		      The  $pad_string	may be truncated if the required number of padding characters can't be evenly divided by the $pad_string's
		     length.

	      o $pad_type
		- Optional argument $pad_type can be STR_PAD_RIGHT, STR_PAD_LEFT, or STR_PAD_BOTH. If $pad_type is not specified it is assumed	to
		be STR_PAD_RIGHT.

RETURN VALUES
	Returns the padded string.

EXAMPLES
       Example #1

	      str_pad(3) example

	      <?php
	      $input = "Alien";
	      echo str_pad($input, 10); 		     // produces "Alien     "
	      echo str_pad($input, 10, "-=", STR_PAD_LEFT);  // produces "-=-=-Alien"
	      echo str_pad($input, 10, "_", STR_PAD_BOTH);   // produces "__Alien___"
	      echo str_pad($input, 6 , "___");		     // produces "Alien_"
	      ?>

PHP Documentation Group 														STR_PAD(3)