var request = null;
		   
try {
   request = new XMLHttpRequest();
   } catch (trymicrosoft) {
   try {
     request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
   } catch (othermicrosoft) {
     try {
       request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
     } catch (failed) {
       request = null;
     }
   }
 }

if (request == null)
   alert("Error creating request object!");  
		   
		   
		   

function replaceText(el, text) {
  if (el != null) {
    clearText(el);
    var newNode = document.createTextNode(text);
    el.appendChild(newNode);
  }
}

function clearText(el) {
  if (el != null) {
    if (el.childNodes) {
      for (var i = 0; i < el.childNodes.length; i++) {
        var childNode = el.childNodes[i];
        el.removeChild(childNode);
      }
    }
  }
}

function getText(el) {
  var text = "";
  if (el != null) {
    if (el.childNodes) {
      for (var i = 0; i < el.childNodes.length; i++) {
        var childNode = el.childNodes[i];
        if (childNode.nodeValue != null) {
          text = text + childNode.nodeValue;
        }
      }
    }
  }
  return text;
}

// function to change the style of any object   
function setStyle(obj,style,value){
	getRef(obj).style[style]= value;
}

function getRef(obj){
	return (typeof obj == "string") ?
		 document.getElementById(obj) : obj;
}

function classChange(styleChange,item) {
	item.className = styleChange;	
}
function ShowPop(id){
   document.getElementById(id).style.visibility = "visible";
}
function HidePop(id){
   document.getElementById(id).style.visibility = "hidden";
}

function popUp(URL) {
	day = new Date();
	id = day.getTime();
	eval("page" + id + " = window.open(URL, '" + id + "', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=1,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=800,height=600,left = 240,top = 212');");
}

// generic function to set visibility of multiple elements
function toggle_element_visability(elName,id,numEl){
	// set visibility of all related elements to non first
	var el = elName + id;
	for (var x = 0 ; x < numEl ; x++) {
		if(x != id) document.getElementById(elName + x).style.display = 'none';	
	}
	// now set the current selected element visibility
	if(document.getElementById(el).style.display == 'block') {
		document.getElementById(el).style.display = 'none';
	} else {
		document.getElementById(el).style.display = 'block';
	}
}