function [x] = enforce_bounds(x, bounds)
% VAR_ENCODE - Encodes the boundary limits for the variables x
% 
% Inputs: 
%   x = [ number_of_samples x number_of_variables ] input matrix of variables to be encoded
%   bounds = [ number_of_variables x 2 ] input matrix where the ith row is the valid bounds for the ith variable
%   
% Outputs:
%   x_bounded = [ number_of_samples x number_of_variables ] with any variable that is outside of the domain truncated
% 
% Written by:
% -- 
% John L. Weatherwax                2006-08-28
% 
% email: wax@alum.mit.edu
% 
% Please send comments and especially bug reports to the
% above email address.
% 
%-----

% Check inputs:
[N_samples,N_var] = size(x);
assert( size(bounds,1)==N_var, 'bounds input must have N_var rows' );
assert( size(bounds,2)==2, 'bounds input must have two columns' );

% make sure all our initial input variables are within the required variables bounds before we encode them in binary: 
% 
for ii=1:N_var, 
  inds = find( x(:,ii) < bounds(ii,1) );
  x(inds,ii) = bounds(ii,1);
  inds = find( x(:,ii) > bounds(ii,2) );
  x(inds,ii) = bounds(ii,2);
end