function validateEmail(email_address){
  var res ="";
  if (email_address==""){
    res+="Please enter your email address\n";
  }
  else {
     if (email_address.indexOf('@') ==-1){
       res+="Your email address must contain a @ to be valid\n";
     }
     else if (email_address.indexOf('.') ==-1){
       res+="Your email address must contain a . to be valid\n";
     }
     else if(email_address.indexOf(' ')!=-1){
         res+="Your email address can NOT contain spaces\n";
     }
  }
  
  return res;
}
function dateFormat(dateString)
  /// If 'dateString' contains a valid date, return a new string with the date
  /// properly formatted (mm/dd/yyyy).  'dateString' must contain a four-digit year
  /// to be valid (per Wentz's suggestion).  If it's invalid, return null.
  {
  var daysInMonths = new Array(31, 28, 31, 30, 31, 30, 31, 31, 30, 31, 30, 31);
  //window.status = "here";
  dateParts = new Array("", "", "");
  df2Index = 0;
  fullyear = 0;
  yt="0";
  for (df2I = 0; df2I < dateString.length; df2I++)
    {
    df2Char = dateString.charAt(df2I);
    if ((df2Char >= '0') && (df2Char <= '9'))
      dateParts[df2Index] += df2Char;
    else if ((dateParts[df2Index].length > 0) && (df2Index < 2))
      df2Index++;
    }
  month = parseIntProperly(dateParts[0]);
  day = parseIntProperly(dateParts[1]);
  year = parseIntProperly(dateParts[2]);
  if (isNaN(month) || (month < 1) || (month > 12))
    return null;
  if (isNaN(year) )
    return null;
  if (year<1000) {
      fullyear=2000+year;
  }
  else{
      fullyear=year;
  }
  maxDays = daysInMonths[month - 1];
  if ((month == 2) && ((fullyear % 4) == 0) && (((fullyear % 100) != 0) || ((fullyear % 400) == 0)))
    maxDays = 29;
  if (isNaN(day) || (day < 1) || (day > maxDays))
    return null;
  if (year<10) {
      yt+=year;
  }
  else {
      yt=year;
  }
  return month + '/' + day + '/' + yt;
  }

function parseIntProperly(intString)
  {
  answer = 0;
  for (pipI = 0; pipI < intString.length; pipI++)
    {
    pipChar = intString.charAt(pipI);
    if ((pipChar >= '0') && (pipChar <= '9'))
      answer = answer * 10 + (pipChar - '0');
    }
  return answer;
  }

function isCheckBoxChecked(cbox){
 var ret = false;
 if (cbox.length==null){ //single element checkbox is not an array
   ret=cbox.checked
 }
 else { //multi element checkbox
   for(i=0;i<cbox.length;i++){
    if(cbox[i].checked){
     ret=true;
     i=cbox.length;
    }
   }
  }
  return ret;
}

function isradiochecked(radio){
  var ret = false;
  for(i=0;i<radio.length;i++){
    if(radio[i].checked){
     ret=true;
     i=radio.length;
    }
   }
  return ret;
}

function getRadioValue(radio){
  var ret = false;
  for(i=0;i<radio.length;i++){
    if(radio[i].checked){
     ret=radio[i].value;
     i=radio.length;
    }
   }
  return ret;
}

function getDropDownValue(obj){
var tmp;
 tmp=obj.options[obj.selectedIndex].value;
 if(tmp==""){
  return obj.options[obj.selectedIndex].text;
 }
 else {
  return tmp;
 }
}