String pad(String s){
  String paddingString = "                                                                     ";
  if(s.length() < paddingString.length()){
    return s + paddingString.substring(s.length(), paddingString.length());
  }
  else{
    return s.substring(0, paddingString.length());
  }
}

String[] months = {
  "Jan", "Feb", "Mar", "Apr", "May", "Jun", "Jul", "Aug", "Sep", "Oct", "Nov", "Dec"};
int monthToInt(String strMonth){
  int mo = 0;
  while(!strMonth.equals(months[mo]) && mo<12)
    mo++;
  return mo;
}

String shortenTo(String s, float w){
  if(textWidth(s)>w){
    do{
      s = s.substring(0,s.length()-2);
    }
    while(textWidth(s+"...")>w);
    s = trim(s)+"...";
  }
  return s;
}

float getHue(String s){
  
  if(s.length()>4 && s.substring(0,3).equals("The")){
    s = s.substring(4, s.length());
  }
  
  float hue=0;
  try{
    char[] chars = (s.toUpperCase()).toCharArray();
    int index=0;
    while(chars[index]<65 || chars[index]>90)
      index++;
    float value1 = float(chars[index]-65);

    while(chars[index]<65 || chars[index]>90)
      index++;
    float value2 = float(chars[index]-65);

    hue = (value1*25 + value2)/675;
  }
  catch(ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e){
    //println("No color for '"+s+"'");
  }

  return hue;
}