function WCOMBINE, A
;+
;NAME:
;	WCOMBINE
;
;PURPOSE:
;	To combine all elements in a matrix, like Matlab's "(:)".
;
;CATEGORY:
;	Simple math.
;
;CALLING SEQUENCE:
;	Result = WCOMBINE(A)
;
;INPUTS:
;	A:	A matrix
;
;OUTPUTS:
;	The matrix turned into a column with all elements combined.
;
;SIDE EFFECTS:
;	If A is an array, it is left unchanged.
;
;RESTRICTIONS:
;	None.
;
;EXAMPLE:
;	IDL>p = [[2,3],[4,5],[6,7]]
;	IDL>print, p
;      2       3
;      4       5
;      6       7
;	IDL>print, WCOMBINE(p)
;	2
;	4
;	6
;	3
;	5
;	7	
;
;MODIFICATION HISTORY:
;   copyright (c) Amara Graps 1995, 1996.
;-


t = SIZE(A)
IF t(0) eq 1 THEN BEGIN
	combine = FLTARR(1,N_ELEMENTS(A))
	combine(0,*) = A(*)		;1D column array
ENDIF ELSE BEGIN
	numcol = t(1)			;number of columns
	numrow=t(2)			;number of rows
	nelems = numcol*numrow		;total number of elements
	
	;Set up array corresponding to type
	CASE t(3) OF
		;column vector containing all elements
		1: combine=BYTARR(1,nelems)	;byte
		2: combine=INTARR(1,nelems)	;integer
		3: combine=LONARR(1,nelems)	;long integer
		4: combine=FLTARR(1,nelems)	;float
		5: combine=DBLARR(1,nelems)	;double float
		ELSE: print, 'Do not know datatype in WCOMBINE.PRO!'
	ENDCASE

	;Step through the columns
	FOR i = 0, numcol-1 DO BEGIN
		;Step through the rows
		FOR j = 0, numrow-1 DO BEGIN
			combine(i*numrow+j) = a(i,j)
		END	;j
	END	;i
ENDELSE

RETURN, combine

end
;************************************************