// Core javascript helper functions
  
  // basic browser identification & version
  var isOpera = (navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Opera")>=0) && parseFloat(navigator.appVersion);
  var isIE = ((document.all) && (!isOpera)) && parseFloat(navigator.appVersion.split("MSIE ")[1].split(";")[0]);
  
  // Cross-browser event handlers.
  function addEvent(obj, evType, fn) {
      if (obj.addEventListener) {
          obj.addEventListener(evType, fn, false);
          return true;
      } else if (obj.attachEvent) {
          var r = obj.attachEvent("on" + evType, fn);
          return r;
      } else {
          return false;
      }
  }
  
  function removeEvent(obj, evType, fn) {
      if (obj.removeEventListener) {
          obj.removeEventListener(evType, fn, false);
          return true;
      } else if (obj.detachEvent) {
          obj.detachEvent("on" + evType, fn);
          return true;
      } else {
          return false;
      }
  }
  
  function cancelEventPropagation(e) {
      if (!e) e = window.event;
      e.cancelBubble = true;
      if (e.stopPropagation) e.stopPropagation();
  }
  
  // quickElement(tagType, parentReference [, textInChildNode, attribute, attributeValue ...]);
  function quickElement() {
      var obj = document.createElement(arguments[0]);
      if (arguments[2]) {
          var textNode = document.createTextNode(arguments[2]);
          obj.appendChild(textNode);
      }
      var len = arguments.length;
      for (var i = 3; i < len; i += 2) {
          obj.setAttribute(arguments[i], arguments[i+1]);
      }
      arguments[1].appendChild(obj);
      return obj;
  }
  
  // "a" is reference to an object
  function removeChildren(a) {
      while (a.hasChildNodes()) a.removeChild(a.lastChild);
  }
  
  // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Cross-browser xmlhttp object
  // from http://jibbering.com/2002/4/httprequest.html
  // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  var xmlhttp;
  /*@cc_on @*/
  /*@if (@_jscript_version >= 5)
      try {
          xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
      } catch (e) {
          try {
              xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
          } catch (E) {
              xmlhttp = false;
          }
      }
  @else
      xmlhttp = false;
  @end @*/
  if (!xmlhttp && typeof XMLHttpRequest != 'undefined') {
    xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
  }
  
  // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Find-position functions by PPK
  // See http://www.quirksmode.org/js/findpos.html
  // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  function findPosX(obj) {
      var curleft = 0;
      if (obj.offsetParent) {
          while (obj.offsetParent) {
              curleft += obj.offsetLeft - ((isOpera) ? 0 : obj.scrollLeft);
              obj = obj.offsetParent;
          }
          // IE offsetParent does not include the top-level
          if (isIE && obj.parentElement){
              curleft += obj.offsetLeft - obj.scrollLeft;
          }
      } else if (obj.x) {
          curleft += obj.x;
      }
      return curleft;
  }
  
  function findPosY(obj) {
      var curtop = 0;
      if (obj.offsetParent) {
          while (obj.offsetParent) {
              curtop += obj.offsetTop - ((isOpera) ? 0 : obj.scrollTop);
              obj = obj.offsetParent;
          }
          // IE offsetParent does not include the top-level
          if (isIE && obj.parentElement){
              curtop += obj.offsetTop - obj.scrollTop;
          }
      } else if (obj.y) {
          curtop += obj.y;
      }
      return curtop;
  }
  
  //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Date object extensions
  // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  Date.prototype.getTwelveHours = function() {
      hours = this.getHours();
      if (hours == 0) {
          return 12;
      }
      else {
          return hours <= 12 ? hours : hours-12
      }
  }
  
  Date.prototype.getTwoDigitMonth = function() {
      return (this.getMonth() < 9) ? '0' + (this.getMonth()+1) : (this.getMonth()+1);
  }
  
  Date.prototype.getTwoDigitDate = function() {
      return (this.getDate() < 10) ? '0' + this.getDate() : this.getDate();
  }
  
  Date.prototype.getTwoDigitTwelveHour = function() {
      return (this.getTwelveHours() < 10) ? '0' + this.getTwelveHours() : this.getTwelveHours();
  }
  
  Date.prototype.getTwoDigitHour = function() {
      return (this.getHours() < 10) ? '0' + this.getHours() : this.getHours();
  }
  
  Date.prototype.getTwoDigitMinute = function() {
      return (this.getMinutes() < 10) ? '0' + this.getMinutes() : this.getMinutes();
  }
  
  Date.prototype.getTwoDigitSecond = function() {
      return (this.getSeconds() < 10) ? '0' + this.getSeconds() : this.getSeconds();
  }
  
  Date.prototype.getHourMinute = function() {
      return this.getTwoDigitHour() + ':' + this.getTwoDigitMinute();
  }
  
  Date.prototype.getHourMinuteSecond = function() {
      return this.getTwoDigitHour() + ':' + this.getTwoDigitMinute() + ':' + this.getTwoDigitSecond();
  }
  
  Date.prototype.strftime = function(format) {
      var fields = {
          c: this.toString(),
          d: this.getTwoDigitDate(),
          H: this.getTwoDigitHour(),
          I: this.getTwoDigitTwelveHour(),
          m: this.getTwoDigitMonth(),
          M: this.getTwoDigitMinute(),
          p: (this.getHours() >= 12) ? 'PM' : 'AM',
          S: this.getTwoDigitSecond(),
          w: '0' + this.getDay(),
          x: this.toLocaleDateString(),
          X: this.toLocaleTimeString(),
          y: ('' + this.getFullYear()).substr(2, 4),
          Y: '' + this.getFullYear(),
          '%' : '%'
      };
      var result = '', i = 0;
      while (i < format.length) {
          if (format.charAt(i) === '%') {
              result = result + fields[format.charAt(i + 1)];
              ++i;
          }
          else {
              result = result + format.charAt(i);
          }
          ++i;
      }
      return result;
  }
  
  // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // String object extensions
  // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  String.prototype.pad_left = function(pad_length, pad_string) {
      var new_string = this;
      for (var i = 0; new_string.length < pad_length; i++) {
          new_string = pad_string + new_string;
      }
      return new_string;
  }
  
  String.prototype.strptime = function(format) {
      var split_format = format.split(/[.\-/]/);
      var date = this.split(/[.\-/]/);
      var i = 0;
      while (i < split_format.length) {
          switch (split_format[i]) {
              case "%d":
                  var day = date[i];
                  break;
              case "%m":
                  var month = date[i] - 1;
                  break;
              case "%Y":
                  var year = date[i];
                  break;
              case "%y":
                  var year = date[i];
                  break;
          }
          ++i;
      };
      return new Date(year, month, day);
  }
  
  // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Get the computed style for and element
  // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  function getStyle(oElm, strCssRule){
      var strValue = "";
      if(document.defaultView && document.defaultView.getComputedStyle){
          strValue = document.defaultView.getComputedStyle(oElm, "").getPropertyValue(strCssRule);
      }
      else if(oElm.currentStyle){
          strCssRule = strCssRule.replace(/\-(\w)/g, function (strMatch, p1){
              return p1.toUpperCase();
          });
          strValue = oElm.currentStyle[strCssRule];
      }
      return strValue;
  }