str_pad

<?

$string = 'string';
$length = -10;

$return = str_pad($string, $length);

var_export($return);

?>

'string'

<?

$string = 'string';
$length = 10;

$return = str_pad($string, $length);

var_export($return);

?>

'string    '

<?

$string = 'string';
$length = 10;
$pad_string = ".|";

$return = str_pad($string, $length, $pad_string);

var_export($return);

?>

'string.|.|'

<?

$string = 'string';
$length = 10;
$pad_string = ".|";
$pad_type = STR_PAD_RIGHT;

$return = str_pad($string, $length, $pad_string, $pad_type);

var_export($return);

?>

'string.|.|'

<?

$string = 'string';
$length = 10;
$pad_string = ".|";
$pad_type = STR_PAD_LEFT;

$return = str_pad($string, $length, $pad_string, $pad_type);

var_export($return);

?>

'.|.|string'

<?

$string = 'string';
$length = 10;
$pad_string = ".|";
$pad_type = STR_PAD_BOTH;

$return = str_pad($string, $length, $pad_string, $pad_type);

var_export($return);

?>

'.|string.|'