//general stuff
/proc/sanitize_integer(number, min=0, max=1, default=0)
	if(isnum(number))
		number = round(number)
		if(min <= number && number <= max)
			return number
	return default

/proc/sanitize_text(text, default="")
	if(istext(text))
		return text
	return default

/proc/sanitize_inlist(value, list/List, default)
	if(value in List)	return value
	if(default)			return default
	if(List && List.len)return List[1]

//more specialised stuff
/proc/sanitize_gender(gender, var/species_name)
	var/datum/species/S = all_species[species_name]
	return sanitize_inlist(gender, (valid_player_genders & S.default_genders), pick(S.default_genders))

/proc/sanitize_hexcolor(color, default="#000000")
	if(!istext(color)) return default
	var/len = length(color)
	if(len != 7 && len !=4) return default
	if(text2ascii(color,1) != 35) return default	//35 is the ascii code for "#"
	. = "#"
	for(var/i=2,i<=len,i++)
		var/ascii = text2ascii(color,i)
		switch(ascii)
			if(48 to 57)	. += ascii2text(ascii)		//numbers 0 to 9
			if(97 to 102)	. += ascii2text(ascii)		//letters a to f
			if(65 to 70)	. += ascii2text(ascii+32)	//letters A to F - translates to lowercase
			else			return default
	return .