Standard library code

[ichabod801]

The i variable is the length of the string after terminal line feeds and carriage returns are taken out. So the s assignment on line 5 combines three things: the first five characters of the original s, a number of asterisks (*) equal to the length of the original s (not counting the first five characters or any terminal LF/CR), and any terminal LF or CR from the original s. It's a way of preserving those terminal characters, if they exist.