//#!/usr/bin/perl
function xmlhttpPost(strURL,targetid,timeout,pid,name) {
    var xmlHttpReq = false;
    var self = this;
    // Mozilla/Safari
	if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
	    self.xmlHttpReq = new XMLHttpRequest();
	}
    // IE
	else if (window.ActiveXObject) {
	    self.xmlHttpReq = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
	}

    self.xmlHttpReq.open('POST', strURL, true);
    self.xmlHttpReq.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded');
    self.xmlHttpReq.onreadystatechange = function() {
	if (self.xmlHttpReq.readyState == 4) {
	    updatepage(self.xmlHttpReq.responseText,targetid);
	}
    }
    setTimeout( "self.xmlHttpReq.send(getquerystring(" + pid + "))", timeout );
}

function updatepage(str,targetid){
    document.getElementById(targetid).innerHTML = str;
}


// Fading background;
function opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec) {
    //speed for each frame;
    var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100);
    var timer = 0;

    //determine the direction for the blending, if start and end are the same nothing happens;
    if(opacStart > opacEnd) {
	for(i = opacStart; i >= opacEnd; i--) {
	    setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
	    timer++;
	}
    } else if(opacStart < opacEnd) {
	for(i = opacStart; i <= opacEnd; i++)
	{
	    setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
	    timer++;
	}
    }
}

//change the opacity for different browsers;
function changeOpac(opacity, id) {
    var object = document.getElementById(id).style;
    object.opacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.MozOpacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.KhtmlOpacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + opacity + ")";
}