code: def nStepsForParam(self, param):
          
          if param['parameter'] == 'filename':
              return len(param['names'])
          else:
              if param['step'] > 0:
                  if abs(param['start'] - param['stop']) < param['step']:
                      return 0
                  # print 'range', param['start'] - param['stop']
                  nsteps = np.around(abs(param['start'] - param['stop']), 4) / float(param['step'])
                  nsteps = int(np.ceil(nsteps)+1)
              elif param['start'] == param['stop']:
                  nsteps = 1
              else:
                  nsteps = 0
              return nsteps
docs: Gets the number of steps *parameter* will yeild
  
          :param param: parameter to get the expansion count for
          :type param: dict