function util_GetItem( object_id )
{
	var item;
	
	if(document.getElementById && document.getElementById( object_id ) )
		item = document.getElementById( object_id );
	else if (document.all && document.all( object_id ) )
		item = document.all( object_id );
	else if( document.layers && document.layers[object_id] )
		item = document.layers[object_id];
	
	return item;
}
// legacy call
function util_GetObject( object_id )
{
	return util_GetItem( object_id );
}


function util_DisableButton( button_id, text )
{
	var button;
	
	if( (button = util_GetItem( button_id )) != null )
	{
		button.disabled		= true;
		
		if( text )
			button.innerHTML	= "Please wait...";
	}
}

function util_SetVisibility( item_id, new_vis )
{
	var item;
	if( item = util_GetObject( item_id ) )
		util_SetObjectVisibility( item, new_vis )
	else
		alert("error: object '" + item_id + "' not found.");
}

// @param item : the object we want to set
// @param new_vis : Either hidden or visible
// @param new_display : Used to set the display mode; default is 'block'
function util_SetObjectVisibility(
	item,
	new_vis,
	new_display
)
{
	item.style.visibility	= new_vis;
	
	if( new_vis == "hidden" )
		item.style.display = "none";
	else
		item.style.display = (new_display ? new_display : "block");
}

// @param item_id : the Id of the object we want to hide.
// @param new_display : the new display mode; default is block.
function util_Show(
	item_id,
	new_display
)
{
	if( !new_display )
		util_SetVisibility( item_id, "visible" );
	else
	{
		var item = util_GetItem( item_id );
			item.style.visibility	= "visible";
			item.style.display	= new_display;
	}
}
// @param item_id : the Id of the object we want to hide.
function util_Hide( item_id )
{
	util_SetVisibility( item_id, "hidden" );
}


/// -- toggles the given item between hidden and visible
// @param item_id : the Id of the object to toggle
// @param display : the display mode for viewing; default is "block";
function util_Toggle(
	item_id,
	display
)
{
	var item = util_GetItem( item_id );
	if( item.style.visibility == "hidden" )
		util_SetObjectVisibility( item, "visible", display );
	else
		util_SetObjectVisibility( item, "hidden", display );
}

/// -- clears the value of this object if is set to the default value.
// @param itemId : the Id of hte object we are going to check
// @param defaultValue : the default value of this object
function util_RemoveDefaultText( itemId, defaultValue )
{
	var item = util_GetItem( itemId );
	
	var tempValue = String(item.value).replace("\n", "").replace("\r","");
	
	if( tempValue == defaultValue )
		item.value = "";
}


function util_SetClass( item_id, class_name )
{ 
	var item;
	
	if( item = util_GetObject( item_id ) )
		item.className	= class_name;
}


function util_SetInnerHtml( item_id, text, append )
{
	var item;
	
	if( item = util_GetObject( item_id ) )
		item.innerHTML = (append ? item.innerHTML + text : text);
}