// Prototype $ function
function $() {
	var elements = new Array();
	for (var i = 0; i < arguments.length; i++) {
		var element = arguments[i];
		if (typeof element == 'string')
			element = document.getElementById(element);
		if (arguments.length == 1)
			return element;
		elements.push(element);
	}
	return elements;
}

// Dustin Diaz
function getElementsByClass(searchClass,node,tag) {
	var classElements = new Array();
	if ( node == null )
		node = document;
	if ( tag == null )
		tag = '*';
	var els = node.getElementsByTagName(tag);
	var elsLen = els.length;
	var pattern = new RegExp('(^|\\\\s)'+searchClass+'(\\\\s|$)');
	for (i = 0, j = 0; i < elsLen; i++) {
		if ( pattern.test(els[i].className) ) {
			classElements[j] = els[i];
			j++;
		}
	}
	return classElements;
}

function grayOut(vis, options) {
	// Pass true to gray out screen, false to ungray
	// options are optional. ĘThis is a JSON object with the following (optional) properties
	// opacity:0-100		// Lower number = less grayout higher = more of a blackout 
	// zindex: #				// HTML elements with a higher zindex appear on top of the gray out
	// bgcolor: (#xxxxxx) // Standard RGB Hex color code
	// grayOut(true, {'zindex':'50', 'bgcolor':'#0000FF', 'opacity':'70'});
	// Because options is JSON opacity/zindex/bgcolor are all optional and can appear
	// in any order. ĘPass only the properties you need to set.
	var options = options || {}; 
	var zindex = options.zindex || 50;
	var opacity = options.opacity || 70;
	var opaque = (opacity / 100);
	var bgcolor = options.bgcolor || '#000000';
	var dark=document.getElementById('darkenScreenObject');
	if (!dark) {
		// The dark layer doesn't exist, it's never been created. ĘSo we'll
		// create it here and apply some basic styles.
		// If you are getting errors in IE see: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/927917
		var tbody = document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0];
		var tnode = document.createElement('div');			// Create the layer.
				tnode.style.position='absolute';			// Position absolutely
				tnode.style.top='0px';						// In the top
				tnode.style.left='0px';						// Left corner of the page
				tnode.style.overflow='hidden';				// Try to avoid making scroll bars		
				tnode.style.display='none';					// Start out Hidden
				tnode.id='darkenScreenObject';				// Name it so we can find it later
		tbody.appendChild(tnode);							// Add it to the web page
		dark=document.getElementById('darkenScreenObject');	// Get the object.
	}
	if (vis) {
		// Calculate the page width and height 
		if( document.body && ( document.body.scrollWidth || document.body.scrollHeight ) ) {
				var pageWidth = document.body.scrollWidth+'px';
				var pageHeight = document.body.scrollHeight+'px';
		} else if( document.body.offsetWidth ) {
			var pageWidth = document.body.offsetWidth+'px';
			var pageHeight = document.body.offsetHeight+'px';
		} else {
		var pageWidth='100%';
		var pageHeight='100%';
		} 	
		//set the shader to cover the entire page and make it visible.
		dark.style.opacity=opaque;							
		dark.style.MozOpacity=opaque;							
		dark.style.filter='alpha(opacity='+opacity+')'; 
		dark.style.zIndex=zindex;
		dark.style.backgroundColor=bgcolor;
		dark.style.width= pageWidth;
		dark.style.height= pageHeight;
		dark.style.display='block';									
	} else {
		dark.style.display='none';
	}
}

function showEl(el) {
	$(el).style.height = "auto";
	$(el).style.visibility = "visible";
}

function hideEl(el) {
	var browserName = navigator.appName;

	$(el).style.height = "1px";

	if (browserName != "Microsoft Internet Explorer") {
		$(el).style.visibility = "hidden";
	} else {
		$(el).style.visibility = "invisible";	
	}
}

function raiseEl(el) {
	var lastZ = $(el).style.zIndex;
	$(el).style.zIndex = lastZ + 100;
}

function lowerEl(el) {
	var lastZ = $(el).style.zIndex;
	$(el).style.zIndex = lastZ - 100;
}