;+  
; $Header: /mizar/proj/sorce/razor_db/RAZOR_UNIVERSE/DOMAIN_01/sorce/Archive/RZ_VCS/idl/utilities/get_debug_level.pro,v 1.1 2005-04-13 18:26:28+00 riesberl Exp $
;
; Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
; University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
;
; AUTHOR:
;   Chris Pankratz
;
; DATE:    5 April 2005
;
; PURPOSE:
;   permits access to a global debug level that is set using the
;   sister routine set_debug_level
;
; BACKGROUND:
;    It is often useful to embed debugging print statements within code; 
;    however, the increased verbosity of these debug statements is usually
;    not desirable after code has been released.  Incorporating a mechanism
;    that conveniently permits activating and deactivating of these debug
;    statements proves very useful in practice.
;
; ALGORITHM:
;    Returns data from a static variable.
;
; REFERENCES
;    None.
; 
;  NOTES
;    None.
; 
;  CONSTRAINTS:
;    None
; 
; INPUT PARAMETERS:
;   None.
;
; OUTPUT PARAMETERS:
;   debug_level -
;      An integer indicating a debug level.  Normally, zero implies
;      that no debug information is desired.  larger values indicate that more
;      debug verbose debug output is desired.
;
; RETURN VALUE (if applicable):
;   Not Applicable
;
; KEYWORD ARGUMENTS:
;   None
;
; OTHER SERVERS/MODULES USED:
;    None
; 
; RELATED MODULES / CLASSES:
;    set_debug_level.pro
;  
; SUPPORTING DATABASE TABLES OR FILES:
;    None.
;
; USAGE EXAMPLE:
;    if (get_debug_level() gt 0) then print, 'Debugging activated'
; 
;
; VERSION:
;    $Revision: 1.1 $ $Date: 2005-04-13 18:26:28+00 $
;

function get_debug_level

;-
; MODIFICATION HISTORY:
;    $Log: get_debug_level.pro,v $
; MODIFICATION HISTORY:
;    Revision 1.1  2005-04-13 18:26:28+00  riesberl
; MODIFICATION HISTORY:
;    Initial revision
; MODIFICATION HISTORY:
; 

common debug, debug_level

if (n_elements(debug_level) eq 0) then return, 0

return, debug_level

end