diff --git a/harbour/ChangeLog b/harbour/ChangeLog
index d002f8f30b..ce013461b6 100644
--- a/harbour/ChangeLog
+++ b/harbour/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+19990831-23:10 GMT+1 Victor Szel <info@szelvesz.hu>
+  * source/rtl/itemapi.c
+    include/itemapi.h
+    + hb_itemSetNLen() added to set the numeric values length and number 
+      of decimal places. This way we have a standard way to set these without
+      fiddling with the internals. Cool.
+
 19990831-22:20 GMT+1 Victor Szel <info@szelvesz.hu>
   * source/rtl/hvm.c
     ! hb_vmFunction() now resets the return value to NIL, since previously
diff --git a/harbour/include/itemapi.h b/harbour/include/itemapi.h
index 56a7369f5d..0610e8f429 100644
--- a/harbour/include/itemapi.h
+++ b/harbour/include/itemapi.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ extern char *   hb_itemGetDS    ( PHB_ITEM pItem, char *szDate );
 extern BOOL     hb_itemGetL     ( PHB_ITEM pItem );
 extern double   hb_itemGetND    ( PHB_ITEM pItem );
 extern long     hb_itemGetNL    ( PHB_ITEM pItem );
+extern void     hb_itemSetNLen  ( PHB_ITEM pItem, WORD wWidth, WORD wDecimal );
 extern PHB_ITEM hb_itemNew      ( PHB_ITEM pNull );
 extern PHB_ITEM hb_itemParam    ( WORD wParam );
 extern PHB_ITEM hb_itemPutC     ( PHB_ITEM pItem, char *szText );
diff --git a/harbour/source/rtl/itemapi.c b/harbour/source/rtl/itemapi.c
index 96ea4cf4fe..a2d8e17f54 100644
--- a/harbour/source/rtl/itemapi.c
+++ b/harbour/source/rtl/itemapi.c
@@ -386,6 +386,30 @@ PHB_ITEM hb_itemPutNL( PHB_ITEM pItem, long lNumber )
    return pItem;
 }
 
+void hb_itemSetNLen( PHB_ITEM pItem, WORD wWidth, WORD wDecimal )
+{
+   if( pItem 
+    && wWidth > 0 && wWidth <= 99 
+    && ( wDecimal == 0 || wDecimal < ( wWidth - 1 ) ) )
+   {
+      switch( pItem->type )
+      {
+         case IT_DOUBLE:
+            pItem->item.asDouble.length = wWidth;
+            pItem->item.asDouble.decimal = wDecimal;
+            break;
+
+         case IT_LONG:
+            pItem->item.asLong.length = wWidth;
+            break;
+
+         case IT_INTEGER:
+            pItem->item.asInteger.length = wWidth;
+            break;
+      }
+   }
+}
+
 ULONG hb_itemSize( PHB_ITEM pItem )
 {
    if( pItem )