function isEmpty(theField) {
		if ( theField == null || theField.length == 0) {
			return true;
		}
		return false;
	}

    function cannotBeEmpty(theField, message) {
    	if ( theField == null || theField.length == 0) {
    		alert(message);
    		return true;
    	}
    	return false;
    }

	// add a hiddle field to the given form
    function addHiddenField(formObj, fieldName, theValue) {
		var theForm = document.getElementById("theForm");
		var newField = document.createElement("input");
		newField.name = fieldName;
	    newField.type = "hidden";
	    newField.value = theValue;
		formObj.appendChild(newField);
	}
	
	function isIE() {
		if(wbrowsertype() == 3) {
			return true;
		}
		return false;
	}
		
	function isWNetscape() {
		if(wbrowsertype() == 6) {
			return true;
		}
		return false;
	}
	/* OS / Browser Detect. Written by Joe McCormack. www.virtualsecrets.com */
	function wbrowsertype() {
		var net_browser = 0;
		/*
		__ net_browser flag values based on OS/Browser __
		0 = Undetermined OS / Browser
		1 = konqueror
		2 = Google Chrome
		3 = Internet Explorer
		4 = Safari
		5 = Firefox
		6 = Netscape
		7 = Opera
		8 = Camino
		9 = Firebird
		*/
		var btfound = 0; browser_detect = navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase();
		if ((browser_detect.indexOf("konqueror") + 1)) { btfound = 1; net_browser = 1; }
		if ((browser_detect.indexOf("mac_powerpc") + 1)) { btfound = 1; net_browser = 3; }
		if (btfound == 0) {
			if ((browser_detect.indexOf("safari") + 1)) { net_browser = 4; }
			else if ((browser_detect.indexOf("msie") + 1)) { net_browser = 3; }
			else if ((browser_detect.indexOf("firefox") + 1)) { net_browser = 5; }
			else if ((browser_detect.indexOf("netscape") + 1)) { net_browser = 6; }
			else if ((browser_detect.indexOf("opera") + 1)) { net_browser = 7; }
			else if ((browser_detect.indexOf("camino") + 1)) { net_browser = 8; }
			else if ((browser_detect.indexOf("firebird") + 1)) { net_browser = 9; }
			else if ((browser_detect.indexOf("chrome") + 1)) { net_browser = 2; }
			else { net_browser = 0; }
		}
		return net_browser;
	}

	function getBrowserName() {
		switch (wbrowsertype()) {
			case 2:
				return "Chrome";
			
			case 3:
				return "Internet Explorer";
			
			case 4:
				return "Safari";
			
			case 5 :
				return "Firefox";
			
			case 6:
				return "Netscape";
			
			case 7:
				return "Opera";
			
			case 8:
				return "Camino";
			
			case 9:
				return "Firebird";
		
			case 0:
			default:
				return "";
			
		}
	}
	
	
	
	
	function createCookie(name, value, days) {
		if (days) {
			var date = new Date();
			date.setTime(date.getTime()+(days*24*60*60*1000));
			var expires = "; expires="+date.toGMTString();
		}
		else var expires = "";
		document.cookie = name+"="+value+expires+"; path=/";
	}
	function eraseCookie(name) {
		createCookie(name, "", -1);
	}
	
	function readCookie(name) {
		var nameEQ = name + "=";
		var ca = document.cookie.split(';');
		for(var i=0; i < ca.length; i++) {
			var c = ca[i];
			while (c.charAt(0)==' ') c = c.substring(1,c.length);
			if (c.indexOf(nameEQ) == 0) return c.substring(nameEQ.length,c.length);
		}
		return null;
	}