diff --git a/src/include/ZMap/zmapUtils.h b/src/include/ZMap/zmapUtils.h
index f55ad7f836390eee31edfb944e3137db49d4cacd..4128373f64c04a9fc8ce554dba7883965cdc2ad8 100755
--- a/src/include/ZMap/zmapUtils.h
+++ b/src/include/ZMap/zmapUtils.h
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@
  *
  * Description: Utility functions for ZMap.
  * HISTORY:
- * Last edited: Dec 12 14:22 2008 (edgrif)
+ * Last edited: Mar 30 10:11 2009 (edgrif)
  * Created: Thu Feb 26 10:33:10 2004 (edgrif)
- * CVS info:   $Id: zmapUtils.h,v 1.38 2008-12-15 14:06:26 edgrif Exp $
+ * CVS info:   $Id: zmapUtils.h,v 1.39 2009-04-03 15:38:21 edgrif Exp $
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
 #ifndef ZMAP_UTILS_H
@@ -167,6 +167,8 @@ gboolean zMapUtilsConfigDebug(char *debug_flag, gboolean *value) ;
 
 char *zMapGetTimeString(ZMapTimeFormat format, char *format_str_in) ;
 
+char zMapInt2Char(int num) ;
+
 gboolean zMapStr2Bool(char *str, gboolean *bool_out) ;
 gboolean zMapStr2Int(char *str_in, int *int_out) ;
 gboolean zMapInt2Str(int int_in, char **str_out) ;
diff --git a/src/zmapUtils/zmapUtils.c b/src/zmapUtils/zmapUtils.c
index deaafe976413f6aa884b2e49988b149c62e9451d..7dace1ea6f2fc1dd9c54bedd39064e9e14cc7628 100755
--- a/src/zmapUtils/zmapUtils.c
+++ b/src/zmapUtils/zmapUtils.c
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@
  *              
  * Exported functions: See ZMap/zmapUtils.h
  * HISTORY:
- * Last edited: Feb  9 09:51 2009 (edgrif)
+ * Last edited: Mar 30 10:11 2009 (edgrif)
  * Created: Fri Mar 12 08:16:24 2004 (edgrif)
- * CVS info:   $Id: zmapUtils.c,v 1.29 2009-02-09 10:07:05 edgrif Exp $
+ * CVS info:   $Id: zmapUtils.c,v 1.30 2009-04-03 15:38:21 edgrif Exp $
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
 
@@ -279,6 +279,25 @@ char *zMapGetTimeString(ZMapTimeFormat format, char *format_str_in)
 
 
 
+
+/* Given an int between 0 and 9 returns the corresponding char representation,
+ * (surely this must exist somewhere ??).
+ * 
+ * Returns '.' if number not in [0-9]
+ *  */
+char zMapInt2Char(int num)
+{
+  char result = '.' ;
+  char table[] = {'0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9'} ;
+
+  if (num >= 0 && num <= 9)
+    result = table[num] ;
+
+  return result ;
+}
+
+
+
 /* There follow a series of conversion routines. These are provided either
  * because there are no existing ones or because the existing ones have
  * arcane usage.