cleaning up

  val number_format = new DecimalFormat("0.#####")

  var debug = false

  var verbose = false

  var flock : FileLock = null

      else if ((args(n) == "-d") || (args(n) == "--debug"))

        { debug = true; n += 1 }

      else if ((args(n) == "-v") || (args(n) == "--verbose"))

        { verbose = true; n += 1 }

      else if ((args(n) == "-h") || (args(n) == "--help"))

        return usage(true)

    println("  --admin              <port>   start http admin web interface on this port    ")

    println("  -h, --help                    you're reading it...                           ")

    println("  -d, --debug                   debug mode                                     ")

    println("  -v, --verbose                 verbose mode                                   ")

  }

    buffer.rewind

  }

  // reads a chunk of of values from the swapfile at position into

  // the specified destionation list buffer

  // reads a chunk of of values from the swapfile at position into the

  // specified destionation list buffer. this method is thread safe

  def load_chunk(position: Int, dst: ListBuffer[(Long, Double)]) : Int = {

    var read_pos = 0