php limit characters

[diceman]

Hey there!

ok so at the moment i do this: <?php echo $row['short_desc']; ?>...
but i want to limit the output of short_desc to 300 chars.

i came across this:

<?php function truncate_string($string, $max_length){
if (strlen($string) > $max_length) {
$string = substr($string,0,$max_length);
$string .= '..';
}
return $string;
}?>

i need some help turning $string into my short_desc - if someone can help that'd be awesome

cheers
Andre

[leatherback]

function truncate_string($string, $max_length)
  {
  if (strlen($string) > $max_length) 
    {  

    $string = substr($string,0,$max_length);
    }
  return $string;
  }

//...

echo truncate_string($row['short_desc'], 300);