strtod

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

double parse_double(const char *str) {
  char *tmp = 0;
  double result = 0;

  asprintf(&tmp, "%.3s", str);
  result = strtod(tmp, 0);
  free(tmp);

  return result;
}

int main(void) {
  printf("%fn", parse_double("1.23")); // 1.2
  printf("%fn", parse_double("1234")); // 123
  printf("%fn", parse_double("0.09")); // 0.0

  return 0;
}

#include <stdio.h>

double parseDouble(const char *str){
    double val = 0;
    int numCharsRead;

    // Handle errors by setting or returning an error flag.
    if(sscanf(str, "%3lf%n", &val, &numCharsRead) != 1){
        puts("Failed to parse double!");
    }
    else if(numCharsRead != 3){
        puts("Read less than three characters!");
    }

    return val;
}

int main(){
    printf("%lfn", parseDouble("1.3")); // 1.300000
    printf("%lfn", parseDouble("1.5999")); // 1.500000
    printf("%lfn", parseDouble(".391")); // 0.390000
    printf("%lfn", parseDouble(".3")); // Read less than three characters!n0.300000
    return 0;
}

double strtod(const char *nptr, char **endptr);

/*
 * Same as strtod() but only takes the first n characters into account.
 * Additionally returns 0. and sets errno to EINVAL if 'nptr' is NULL.
 */
double strntod(const char *nptr, char **endptr, size_t n)
{
  double result;

  /* perform input validation */
  if (!nptr)
  {
    errno = EINVAL;

    result = 0.;
    if (endptr)
    {
      *endptr = nptr;
    }

    goto lblExit;
  }

  if (strlen(nptr) <= n)
  {
    /* Nothing to truncate: fall back to standard 'strtod()' */
    result = strtod(nptr, endptr);
  }
  else
  {
    /* create working copy of string */
    char * ptmp = strdup(nptr);

    /* Test whether 'strdup()' failed */
    if (!ptmp)
    {
      result = 0.;
      if (endptr)
      {
        *endptr = nptr;
      }

      goto lblExit;
    }

    /* truncate working copy to n characters */
    ptmp[n] = '';

    /* do original 'strtod()' on truncated working copy */
    result = strtod(ptmp, endptr);

    /* adjust '*endptr' to point to original character array, but to working copy */
    if (endptr)
    {
      *endptr = nptr + (*endptr - ptmp);
    }

    /* free working copy */
    free(ptmp);
  }

  lblExit:

  return result;
}