function [out] = strip_hash_and_colon(input);
% [out] = strip_hash_and_colon(input)
%
% Helper function for extractpar.
%
% Input  - string
% Output - the same string, with # and : converted to spaces.
%
% Written by Lennart Frimannslund, April 2010

 out = input;
 for (i=1:length(out)), 

    if (out(i) == '#' | out(i) == ':'),
      out(i) = ' ';
    end;
 end;

return;