//Basic Ajax Routine- Author: Dynamic Drive (http://www.dynamicdrive.com)
//Last updated: Jan 15th, 06'

function createAjaxObj(){
    var httprequest=false
    if (window.XMLHttpRequest){ // if Mozilla, Safari etc
        httprequest=new XMLHttpRequest()
        //if (httprequest.overrideMimeType)
        //httprequest.overrideMimeType('text/xml')
    }
    else if (window.ActiveXObject){ // if IE
    try {
        httprequest=new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
        } 
        catch (e){
        try{
        httprequest=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
        }
        catch (e){}
        }
    }
    return httprequest
}

var ajaxpack=new Object()
ajaxpack.basedomain="http://"+window.location.hostname
ajaxpack.ajaxobj=createAjaxObj()
ajaxpack.filetype="txt"
ajaxpack.addrandomnumber=0 //Set to 1 or 0. See documentation.

ajaxpack.getAjaxRequest=function(url, parameters, callbackfunc, filetype){
    ajaxpack.ajaxobj=createAjaxObj() //recreate ajax object to defeat cache problem in IE
    if (ajaxpack.addrandomnumber==1) //Further defeat caching problem in IE?
    var parameters=parameters+"&ajaxcachebust="+new Date().getTime()
    if (this.ajaxobj){
        this.filetype=filetype
        this.ajaxobj.onreadystatechange=callbackfunc
        this.ajaxobj.open('GET', url+"?"+parameters, true)
        this.ajaxobj.send(null)
    }
}

ajaxpack.postAjaxRequest=function(url, parameters, callbackfunc, filetype){
    ajaxpack.ajaxobj=createAjaxObj() //recreate ajax object to defeat cache problem in IE
    if (this.ajaxobj){
        this.filetype=filetype
        this.ajaxobj.onreadystatechange = callbackfunc;
        this.ajaxobj.open('POST', url, true);
        this.ajaxobj.setRequestHeader("Content-type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
        this.ajaxobj.setRequestHeader("Content-length", parameters.length);
        this.ajaxobj.setRequestHeader("Connection", "close");
        this.ajaxobj.send(parameters);
    }
}


// ---------------------
// returns an object with properties based on XML attributes
// ---------------------
function GetXMLObject(XML, nodename){

    var markers     = XML.documentElement.getElementsByTagName(nodename);   
    var thisEval    = '';

    for (var m = 0; m < markers.length; m++) {
        // load xml vars
        for (j=0;j<markers[m].childNodes.length;j++){

            if (markers[m].childNodes[j].nodeType != 1) continue;
            // check if value exists for nodename			    
            if( markers[m].childNodes[j].firstChild){
                thisEval = 'this.' + markers[m].childNodes[j].nodeName + ' = "' + markers[m].childNodes[j].firstChild.nodeValue + '";';
            }
            else{
                thisEval = 'this.' + markers[m].childNodes[j].nodeName + ' = "";';
            }
            eval(thisEval);

        } // load vars for loop
    }          

}