public function comp($num1, $num2, $scale = null)
    {
        // check if they're valid positive numbers, extract the whole numbers and decimals
        if (!preg_match("/^\+?(\d+)(\.\d+)?$/", $num1, $tmp1) || !preg_match("/^\+?(\d+)(\.\d+)?$/", $num2, $tmp2)) {
            return ('0');
        }

        // remove leading zeroes from whole numbers
        $num1 = ltrim($tmp1[1], '0');
        $num2 = ltrim($tmp2[1], '0');

        // first, we can just check the lengths of the numbers, this can help save processing time
        // if $num1 is longer than $num2, return 1.. vice versa with the next step.
        if (Tools::strlen($num1) > Tools::strlen($num2)) {
            return 1;
        } else {
            if (Tools::strlen($num1) < Tools::strlen($num2)) {
                return -1;
            } else {
                // if the two numbers are of equal length, we check digit-by-digit

                // remove ending zeroes from decimals and remove point
                $dec1 = isset($tmp1[2]) ? rtrim(Tools::substr($tmp1[2], 1), '0') : '';
                $dec2 = isset($tmp2[2]) ? rtrim(Tools::substr($tmp2[2], 1), '0') : '';

                // if the user defined $scale, then make sure we use that only
                if ($scale != null) {
                    $dec1 = Tools::substr($dec1, 0, $scale);
                    $dec2 = Tools::substr($dec2, 0, $scale);
                }

                // calculate the longest length of decimals
                $d_len = max(Tools::strlen($dec1), Tools::strlen($dec2));

                // append the padded decimals onto the end of the whole numbers
                $num1 .= str_pad($dec1, $d_len, '0');
                $num2 .= str_pad($dec2, $d_len, '0');

                // check digit-by-digit, if they have a difference, return 1 or -1 (greater/lower than)
                for ($i = 0; $i < Tools::strlen($num1); $i++) {
                    if ((int) $num1{$i} > (int) $num2{$i}) {
                        return 1;
                    } elseif ((int) $num1{$i} < (int) $num2{$i}) {
                        return -1;
                    }
                }
                // if the two numbers have no difference (they're the same).. return 0
                return 0;
            }
        }
    }

 public function comp($num1, $num2, $scale = null)
    {   
                return 0;
 }