// utility functions. Move to separeted script later.     
function $() {
    var elements = new Array();
    for (var i = 0, len = arguments.length; i < len; i++) {
        var element = arguments[i];
        if (typeof element == 'string') {
            var matched = document.getElementById(element);
            if (matched) {
                elements.push(matched);
            } else {
                var allels = (document.all) ? document.all : document.getElementsByTagName('*');
                var regexp = new RegExp('(^| )' + element + '( |$)');
                for (var i = 0, len = allels.length; i < len; i++) if (regexp.test(allels[i].className)) elements.push(allels[i]);
            }
            if (!elements.length) elements = document.getElementsByTagName(element);
            if (!elements.length) {
                elements = new Array();
                var allels = (document.all) ? document.all : document.getElementsByTagName('*');
                for (var i = 0, len = allels.length; i < len; i++) if (allels[i].getAttribute(element)) elements.push(allels[i]);
            }
            if (!elements.length) {
                var allels = (document.all) ? document.all : document.getElementsByTagName('*');
                for (var i = 0, len = allels.length; i < len; i++) if (allels[i].attributes) for (var j = 0, lenn = allels[i].attributes.length; j < lenn; j++) if (allels[i].attributes[j].specified) if (allels[i].attributes[j].nodeValue == element) elements.push(allels[i]);
            }
        } else {
            elements.push(element);
        }
    }
    if (elements.length == 1) {
        return elements[0];
    } else {
        return elements;
    }
}

function getHTTPObject() {
    var http = false;
    //Use IE's ActiveX items to load the file.
    if (typeof ActiveXObject != 'undefined') {
        try { http = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP"); }
        catch (e) {
            try { http = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); }
            catch (E) { http = false; }
        }
        //If ActiveX is not available, use the XMLHttpRequest of Firefox/Mozilla etc. to load the document.
    } else if (XMLHttpRequest) {
        try { http = new XMLHttpRequest(); }
        catch (e) { http = false; }
    }
    return http;
}