subroutine extCharToFloatNum(numchar0,cpastring,f,ierr)
      implicit none
!Transform a string of length numchar consisting all numbers (e.g. 1234 or 12.19, .123,
!or 12.89d+5 or 12.89d-5, d could have been D, e, or E) into a double precision float 
!number. 
!ierr=0, successful conversion
!    =1, conversion failed
      character(*)::cpastring
      character astring*50,c*1,d*1
      double precision f,fsign,factor
      integer ipos1,ipos2,ideci,k,j,i,m,numchar0,
     &  numchar,ierr,ispartnum,nlength

      nlength=len(trim(cpastring))
!
!return error with empty string
      if(nlength.eq.0)then
        f=-9999.0d0
        ierr=1
        return
      endif
      if(index(cpastring,'n').ne.0)then
!in case of 'nan'
        f=-9999.0d0
        ierr=1
        return
      endif
      if(index(cpastring,'N').ne.0)then
!in case of 'NAN'
        f=-9999.0d0
        ierr=1
        return
      endif
!First remove space and change '.123' to '0.123'
      ipos1=0
      numchar=0
      i=0
10    i=i+1
      if(numchar.eq.nlength)goto 11
      c=cpastring(i:i)
      if(ispartnum(c).eq.1)then
        if(ipos1.eq.0)ipos1=i
        numchar=numchar+1
        goto 10
      else
        if(numchar.eq.0)goto 10
      endif
11    astring=cpastring(ipos1:(ipos1+numchar-1))
      if(astring(numchar:numchar).eq.'.')then
        astring=astring(1:numchar)//'0'
        numchar=numchar+1
      endif
      if(astring(1:1).eq.'.')then
        astring='0'//astring(1:numchar)
        numchar=numchar+1
      endif
      if(astring(1:2).eq.'-.')then
        astring='-0.'//astring(3:numchar)
        numchar=numchar+1
      endif
      if(astring(1:2).eq.'+.')then
        astring='0.'//astring(3:numchar)
      endif
      ierr=1
      f=-9999.0d0
      fsign=1.0d0
      ipos1=1
190   c=astring(ipos1:ipos1)
      if(ispartnum(c).eq.1)goto 200
      ipos1=ipos1+1
      goto 190
200   ipos2=ipos1+numchar-1
      if(astring(ipos1:ipos1).eq.'-')then
        ipos1=ipos1+1
        fsign=-1.0d0
      else
        if(astring(ipos1:ipos1).eq.'+')ipos1=ipos1+1
      endif
      ideci=index(astring,'.')
      if(ideci.eq.0)then
!1234, 1234e+6, 1234e-6,1234e6, e can be E, d, or D
        m=ipos2
      else
        m=ideci-1
      endif
      factor=1.0d0
      k=0
      j=0
      i=m
210   c=astring(i:i)
      if(c.eq.'+'.or.c.eq.'-')then
        if(i.eq.m)return
        if(i.gt.(ipos1+1))then
          i=i-1
          d=astring(i:i)
          if(d.eq.'e'.or.d.eq.'E'.or.d.eq.'d'.or.d.eq.'D')then
            if(c.eq.'+')then
              factor=10.0d0**(dble(k))
            else
              factor=10.0d0**(dble(-k))
            endif
          else
            return
          endif
          k=0
          j=0
        else
          return
        endif
      else
        if(c.eq.'e'.or.c.eq.'E'.or.c.eq.'d'.or.c.eq.'D')then
          if(i.eq.m)return
          if(i.gt.ipos1)then
            factor=10.0d0**(dble(k))
            k=0
            j=0
          else
            return
          endif
        else
          if((ichar(c)-48).ge.0.and.(ichar(c)-48).le.9)then
            k=k+(ichar(c)-48)*(10**j)
            j=j+1
          else
            return
          endif
        endif
      endif
      if(i.gt.ipos1)then
        i=i-1
        goto 210
      endif
      f=dble(k)*factor
      k=0
      if(ideci.gt.0)then
!18.27 type of character
        i=ideci+1
220     c=astring(i:i)
        if((ichar(c)-48).ge.0.and.(ichar(c)-48).le.9)then
          k=k+1
          f=f+dble(ichar(c)-48)*(10.0d0**(-k))
          if(i.lt.ipos2)then
            i=i+1
            goto 220
          endif
        else
          if(c.eq.'e'.or.c.eq.'E'.or.c.eq.'d'.or.c.eq.'D')then
            if(i.eq.ipos2)return
            if(astring(ipos2:ipos2).eq.'+'.or.
     &         astring(ipos2:ipos2).eq.'-')return
            i=i+1
            c=astring(i:i)
            ipos1=i+1
            if(c.eq.'-')then
              m=0
            else
              m=1
              if(c.ne.'+')then
                if((ichar(c)-48).ge.0.and.(ichar(c)-48).le.9)then 
                  ipos1=i
                else
                  return
                endif
              endif
            endif
            k=0
            j=0
            do i=ipos2,ipos1,-1
              c=astring(i:i)
              if((ichar(c)-48).ge.0.and.(ichar(c)-48).le.9)then
                k=k+(ichar(c)-48)*(10**j)
                j=j+1
              else
                return
              endif
            enddo
            if(m.eq.0)then
              f=f/(10.0d0**dble(k))
            else
              f=f*(10.0d0**dble(k))
            endif
          else
            return
          endif
        endif
      endif
      f=f*fsign
      ierr=0
      return
      end subroutine extCharToFloatNum