formatting numbers

[balls@medcolpa.edu]

I was hacking through a fast way to accomplish printing of atomic
weights to a periodic table depending upon screen size. In the
example below a maximum of 5 significant figures should print if
& only if 5 figures are significant, otherwise 4 or less figures
should print, depending upon whether or not 4 figures are significant.

(dolist (element/aw '((thallium 204.383)
                      (barium 137.33)
                      (osmium 190.2)
                      (francium 223)))
  (let ((element (first element/aw))
        (aw (second element/aw)))
    (format t "~%~A: " element)
    (format t (cond ((integerp aw) "~A")
                    ((/= aw (read-from-string (format nil "~5,1F" aw)))
                     "~5,2F")
                    (t "~4,1F"))
            aw)))

THALLIUM: 204.38
BARIUM: 137.33
OSMIUM: 190.2
FRANCIUM: 223
NIL
? 

This is the desired behavior, but it seems a bit contrived.
Is there not a more simple & more efficient way to do this?

Thanks, Sheldon


Sheldon S. Ball
BALLS@ccc.medcolpa.edu