>>

>>lcIm = '99999999'
>>if ( Thisform.decPlaces != 0 )
>> lcIm = Stuff(lcIm, Len(lcIm)-Thisform.decPlaces, 1, '.')
>>endif
>>

>
>Ok, I think I've found another solution
>
>

lcIm = padl(9999999 / 10 ^ Thisform.Decplaces,7) + '9'

>
>I'm now into questions of readability :(

Not quite the same though - it falls over for Decplaces > 2 (your example treated them as the same as Decplaces=0),