function sprintf( ) {	// Return a formatted string
	// 
	// +   original by: Ash Searle (http://hexmen.com/blog/)
	// + namespaced by: Michael White (http://crestidg.com)

	var regex = /%%|%(\d+\$)?([-+#0 ]*)(\*\d+\$|\*|\d+)?(\.(\*\d+\$|\*|\d+))?([scboxXuidfegEG])/g;
	var a = arguments, i = 0, format = a[i++];

	// pad()
	var pad = function(str, len, chr, leftJustify) {
		var padding = (str.length >= len) ? '' : Array(1 + len - str.length >>> 0).join(chr);
		return leftJustify ? str + padding : padding + str;
	};

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

	// formatBaseX()
	var formatBaseX = function(value, base, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad) {
		// 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);
	};

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

	// finalFormat()
	var doFormat = function(substring, valueIndex, flags, minWidth, _, precision, type) {
		if (substring == '%%') return '%';

		// parse flags
		var leftJustify = false, positivePrefix = '', zeroPad = false, prefixBaseX = 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;
		}

		// 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('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': return formatString(String(value), leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
			case 'c': return formatString(String.fromCharCode(+value), leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
			case 'b': return formatBaseX(value, 2, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
			case 'o': return formatBaseX(value, 8, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
			case 'x': return formatBaseX(value, 16, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
			case 'X': return formatBaseX(value, 16, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad).toUpperCase();
			case 'u': return formatBaseX(value, 10, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
			case 'i':
			case 'd': {
						var number = parseInt(+value);
						var prefix = number < 0 ? '-' : positivePrefix;
						value = prefix + pad(String(Math.abs(number)), precision, '0', false);
						return justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad);
					}
			case 'e':
			case 'E':
			case 'f':
			case 'F':
			case 'g':
			case 'G':
						{
						var number = +value;
						var prefix = number < 0 ? '-' : positivePrefix;
						var method = ['toExponential', 'toFixed', 'toPrecision']['efg'.indexOf(type.toLowerCase())];
						var textTransform = ['toString', 'toUpperCase']['eEfFgG'.indexOf(type) % 2];
						value = prefix + Math.abs(number)[method](precision);
						return justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad)[textTransform]();
					}
			default: return substring;
		}
	};

	return format.replace(regex, doFormat);
}