function xmlhttpGet(strURL, strUpdateDiv) {
    var xmlHttpReq = false;
    var self = this;
    // Mozilla/Safari
    if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
        self.xmlHttpReq = new XMLHttpRequest();
    }
    // IE
    else if (window.ActiveXObject) {
        self.xmlHttpReq = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
    }

    var d = new Date();
    var secs = d.getUTCMilliseconds();

    strURL += "&rnd=" + secs;

    self.xmlHttpReq.open('GET', strURL, true);
    self.xmlHttpReq.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded');
    self.xmlHttpReq.onreadystatechange = function() {
        if (self.xmlHttpReq.readyState == 4) {
            updatediv(strUpdateDiv, self.xmlHttpReq.responseText);
        }
    }
    self.xmlHttpReq.send(null); 
}

function updatediv(strUpdateDiv, str){
    if (strUpdateDiv != "") {
        document.getElementById(strUpdateDiv).innerHTML = str;
    }
}


function getSelectedRadio(buttonGroup) {
   // returns the array number of the selected radio button or -1 if no button is selected
   if (buttonGroup[0]) { // if the button group is an array (one button is not an array)
      for (var i=0; i<buttonGroup.length; i++) {
         if (buttonGroup[i].checked) {
            return i
         }
      }
   } else {
      if (buttonGroup.checked) { return 0; } // if the one button is checked, return zero
   }
   // if we get to this point, no radio button is selected
   return -1;
} // Ends the "getSelectedRadio" function

function getSelectedRadioValue(buttonGroup) {
   // returns the value of the selected radio button or "" if no button is selected
   var i = getSelectedRadio(buttonGroup);
   if (i == -1) {
      return "";
   } else {
      if (buttonGroup[i]) { // Make sure the button group is an array (not just one button)
         return buttonGroup[i].value;
      } else { // The button group is just the one button, and it is checked
         return buttonGroup.value;
      }
   }
} // Ends the "getSelectedRadioValue" function