sub formatpages($$) {
    # pick parameters
    my($act, $max, $min) = (@_, 1);

    # pick pages to link
    my @pages = map { { text => $_, link => 1 } }
            grep { $_ >= $min && $_ <= $max }
            $act-2 .. $act+2;

    # may add first page
    if ($pages[0]->{text} > $min) {
        if ($pages[0]->{text} > $min+2) {
            unshift(@pages, { text => $min, link => 1 }, { text => '...', link => 0 });
        }
        else {
            unshift(@pages, { text => $_, link => 1 }) for reverse $min .. $pages[0]->{text}-1;
        }
    }

    # may add last page
    if ($pages[-1]->{text} < $max) {
        if ($pages[-1]->{text} < $max-2) {
            push(@pages, { text => '...', link => 0 }, { text => $max, link => 1 });
        }
        else {
            push(@pages, { text => $_, link => 1 }) for $pages[-1]->{text}+1 .. $max;
        }
    }

    # return pagelist
    return @pages if wantarray();
    return \@pages;
} # formatpages