var http_request = false;
var global_layer = false;

function makePOSTRequest(url, parameters, layer) {
	global_layer = layer
	http_request = false;
	if(window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari,...
		http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
		if(http_request.overrideMimeType) {
			http_request.overrideMimeType('text/xml');
		}
	}
	else if(window.ActiveXObject) { // IE
		try {
			http_request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
		}
		catch(e) {
			try {
				http_request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
			}
			catch(e) {}
		}
	}
	
	if(!http_request) {
		alert('Cannot create XMLHTTP instance');
		return false;
	}
	
	http_request.onreadystatechange = alertContents;
	
	http_request.open('POST', url, true);
	http_request.setRequestHeader("Content-type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
	http_request.setRequestHeader("Content-length", parameters.length);
	http_request.setRequestHeader("Connection", "close");
	http_request.send(parameters);
}
function alertContents() {
	if(http_request.readyState == 4) {
		if(http_request.status == 200) {
			//alert(http_request.responseText);
			result = http_request.responseText;
			document.getElementById(global_layer).innerHTML = result;
			return null;
		}
		else {
			alert('There was a problem with the request.');
		}
	}
	return null;
}
function post(url, action, id) {
	var poststr = action + "=1" + "&id=" + id;
	makePOSTRequest(url, poststr, 'body');
}
function toggleLayer(whichLayer) {
	if(document.getElementById) {
		// this is the way the standards work
		var style2 = document.getElementById(whichLayer).style;
		style2.display = style2.display? "":"block";
	}
	else if(document.all) {
		// this is the way old msie versions work
		var style2 = document.all[whichLayer].style;
		style2.display = style2.display? "":"block";
	}
	else if(document.layers) {
		// this is the way nn4 works
		var style2 = document.layers[whichLayer].style;
		style2.display = style2.display? "":"block";
	}
}