/*
 * Name:
 *	global_functions.js
 *
 * Description:
 *	Defines global javascript functions
 *
 * Pre-conditions:
 *	None
 *
 * Post-conditions:
 *	Defines the following functions:
 *
 * Log:
 *	Shaunak Kashyap		11/21/2005
 *	- Creation
 *
 */

/*
 * Name:
 *	getElement
 *
 * Description:
 *	Returns an element searched by name or id
 *
 * Pre-conditions:
 *	elName		REQUIRED	Id or name of element
 *
 * Post-conditions:
 *	The element is returned
 *
 * Log:
 *	Shaunak Kashyap		11/21/2005
 *	- Creation
 *
 */

function getElement(elName) {

	if (document.getElementByName) {
		
		return document.getElementByName(elName);
		
	} else if (document.getElementById) {
		
		return document.getElementById(elName);
		
	} else {
		
		return false;
		
	} 
	
} // END function - getElement

/*
==================================================================
ltrim(string) : Returns a copy of a string without leading spaces.
==================================================================
*/
function ltrim(str)
/*
   PURPOSE: Remove leading blanks from our string.
   IN: str - the string we want to ltrim
*/
{
   var whitespace = new String(" \t\n\r");

   var s = new String(str);

   if (whitespace.indexOf(s.charAt(0)) != -1) {
      // We have a string with leading blank(s)...

      var j=0, i = s.length;

      // Iterate from the far left of string until we
      // don't have any more whitespace...
      while (j < i && whitespace.indexOf(s.charAt(j)) != -1)
         j++;

      // Get the substring from the first non-whitespace
      // character to the end of the string...
      s = s.substring(j, i);
   }
   return s;
}

/*
==================================================================
rtrim(string) : Returns a copy of a string without trailing spaces.
==================================================================
*/
function rtrim(str)
/*
   PURPOSE: Remove trailing blanks from our string.
   IN: str - the string we want to rtrim

*/
{
   // We don't want to trip JUST spaces, but also tabs,
   // line feeds, etc.  Add anything else you want to
   // "trim" here in Whitespace
   var whitespace = new String(" \t\n\r");

   var s = new String(str);

   if (whitespace.indexOf(s.charAt(s.length-1)) != -1) {
      // We have a string with trailing blank(s)...

      var i = s.length - 1;       // Get length of string

      // Iterate from the far right of string until we
      // don't have any more whitespace...
      while (i >= 0 && whitespace.indexOf(s.charAt(i)) != -1)
         i--;


      // Get the substring from the front of the string to
      // where the last non-whitespace character is...
      s = s.substring(0, i+1);
   }

   return s;
}

/*
=============================================================
trim(string) : Returns a copy of a string without leading or trailing spaces
=============================================================
*/
function trim(str)
/*
   PURPOSE: Remove trailing and leading blanks from our string.
   IN: str - the string we want to trim

   RETVAL: A trimmed string!
*/
{
   return rtrim(ltrim(str));
}