function Len(str)
    /***
    IN: str - the string whose length we are interested in

    RETVAL: The number of characters in the string
    ***/
    {  return String(str).length;  }

	function Mid(str, start, len)
    /***
    IN: str - the string we are LEFTing
        start - our string's starting position (0 based!!)
        len - how many characters from start we want to get

    RETVAL: The substring from start to start+len
    ***/
    {
    // Make sure start and len are within proper bounds
    if (start < 0 || len < 0) return "";

    var iEnd, iLen = String(str).length;
    if (start + len > iLen)
            iEnd = iLen;
    else
            iEnd = start + len;

    return String(str).substring(start,iEnd);
    }
	
	
	function InStr(strSearch, charSearchFor) {
		for (i=0; i < Len(strSearch); i++)
		{
		    if (charSearchFor == Mid(strSearch, i, 1))
		    {
				return i;
		    }
		}
		return -1;
	}
	
	function trim(s) {
	  while (s.substring(0,1) == ' ') {
	    s = s.substring(1,s.length);
	  }
	  while (s.substring(s.length-1,s.length) == ' ') {
	    s = s.substring(0,s.length-1);
	  }
	  return s;
	}
	
	
	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
	
	function getSelectedCheckbox(buttonGroup) {
	   // Go through all the check boxes. return an array of all the ones
	   // that are selected (their position numbers). if no boxes were checked,
	   // returned array will be empty (length will be zero)
	   var retArr = new Array();
	   var lastElement = 0;
	   if (buttonGroup[0]) { // if the button group is an array (one check box is not an array)
	      for (var i=0; i<buttonGroup.length; i++) {
	         if (buttonGroup[i].checked) {
	            retArr.length = lastElement;
	            retArr[lastElement] = i;
	            lastElement++;
	         }
	      }
	   } else { // There is only one check box (it's not an array)
	      if (buttonGroup.checked) { // if the one check box is checked
	         retArr.length = lastElement;
	         retArr[lastElement] = 0; // return zero as the only array value
	      }
	   }
	   return retArr;
	} // Ends the "getSelectedCheckbox" function
	
	function getSelectedCheckboxValue(buttonGroup) {
	   // return an array of values selected in the check box group. if no boxes
	   // were checked, returned array will be empty (length will be zero)
	   var retArr = new Array(); // set up empty array for the return values
	   var selectedItems = getSelectedCheckbox(buttonGroup);
	   if (selectedItems.length != 0) { // if there was something selected
	      retArr.length = selectedItems.length;
	      for (var i=0; i<selectedItems.length; i++) {
	         if (buttonGroup[selectedItems[i]]) { // Make sure it's an array
	            retArr[i] = buttonGroup[selectedItems[i]].value;
	         } else { // It's not an array (there's just one check box and it's selected)
	            retArr[i] = buttonGroup.value;// return that value
	         }
	      }
	   }
	   return retArr;
	} // Ends the "getSelectedCheckBoxValue" function
	
//	var checkBoxArr = getSelectedCheckbox(document.forms[0].MyCheckBox);