function vi_Len(v_s)
{
    var s = String(v_s);
    var iLength;    
    iLength = s.length;    
    return iLength;    
}

function vi_Trim(v_s)
{
	var sVal = String(v_s);
	var sValNew = '';
	var re1 = /^(\s*)/;
	var re2 = /(\s*)$/;	
	sValNew = sVal.replace(re1,'');
	sValNew = sValNew.replace(re2,'');	
	return sValNew;
}

function bValidateZipCode(v_s)
{	    
    var bValid = true;
    var reZipCode = /^(\d{4})\s{0,1}([a-z][A-Z]|[A-Z][a-z]|[A-Z][A-Z]|[a-z][a-z])$/;

    if (vi_Len(vi_Trim(v_s)) == 0)
    {
        bValid = false;
    }
    else
    {
        bValid = (reZipCode.test(v_s));
    }
	    
    return bValid;
}


// ============================================================
// util function
function addZero( nValue)
{
	return ( ( nValue < 10) ? "0" : "") + nValue;
}

// ============================================================
// util function, + character is not escaped by escape 
// function, so we escape it our self!
function sEscape( sStr)
{
	return escape( sStr.replace( /\x2B/g, '%plus%'));
}

// ============================================================
// util function, trims starting white spaces
function ltrim( strText)
{
   return strText.replace( /^\s*/, '');
}

// ============================================================
// util function, trims ending white spaces
function rtrim( strText)
{
   return strText.replace( /\s*$/, '');
}

// ============================================================
// util function, trims starting and ending white spaces
function trim( strText)
{
   return ltrim( rtrim( strText));
}

// ============================================================
// util function, strips all white spaces
function strip( strText)
{
   return strText.replace( /\s/g, '');
}

// ============================================================
// util function, validates an email adres
function isEmail( sEmail)
{
	//var reEmailWord = /[0-9A-Za-z_\-]+(\.[0-9A-Za-z_\-]+)*/;
	//var reEmail = /^/ + reEmailWord + /@/ + reEmailWord + /\./ + reEmailWord + /$/;
	//a domain cannot contain a '_'
	var reEmail = /^[0-9A-Za-z_\-]+(\.[0-9A-Za-z_\-]+)*@[0-9A-Za-z\-]+(\.[0-9A-Za-z\-]+)*\.[0-9A-Za-z\-]+(\.[0-9A-Za-z\-]+)*$/;
	return reEmail.test( sEmail);
}

// ============================================================
// util function, validates if a string starts with a character, or with a '
function isLiteral( sLiteral)
{
	//var reLiteral = /^[A-Za-z'][A-Za-z '\-.`]*$/;
	var reLiteral = /^[A-Za-z '\-.`Ç-Ñ]*$/;
	return reLiteral.test( sLiteral);
}

// ============================================================
// util function, validates if it is a 'typeable' string
function isWord( sWord)
{
	var reLiteral = /^[0-9A-Za-z _'\-.`]*$/;
	return reLiteral.test( sWord);
}

// ============================================================
// util function, validates telephone numbers
function isTelephone( sTel)
{
	var reTel = /^[+0-9](-?[0-9]+)*$/;
	return reTel.test( sTel);
}

// ============================================================
// util function, validates bank accounts
function isBankAccount( sBankAccount)
{
	var reBankAccount = /^[0-9]*$/;
	if ( reBankAccount.test( sBankAccount))
	{
		// test length 
		if ( sBankAccount.length != 9)
			return false;
		
		// test 11-proof
		var lTotal = 0;
		for ( var i = 0; i < 9; i++)
			lTotal += (9 - i) * parseInt( sBankAccount.substr( i, 1));
		
        return (lTotal > 0) && ((lTotal % 11) == 0);
	}
	else
		return false;
}

// ============================================================
// util function, validates giro accounts
function isGiroAccount( sGiroAccount)
{
	var reGiroAccount = /^P[0-9]*$/;
	if ( reGiroAccount.test( sGiroAccount))
	{
		// test length 
		if ( sGiroAccount.length < 4 || sGiroAccount.length > 8) // length includes 'P'
			return false;
		
		// test giro proof
		return true;
	}
	else
		return false;
}

function sRetrieveControlValue(v_oObject)
{
	// JPE 24/01/2002
	
	// This function retrieves the value from a control, depending on the type of control

	var sValue;
	
	if(v_oObject.type=='select-one')
	{
		// This control is a dropdown	
		sValue = v_oObject.options[v_oObject.selectedIndex].value;
	}
	else
	{
		sValue = v_oObject.value;
	}
		
	return sValue;
}

function MM_oGetObject(n, d) { //v3.0
	var p,i,x;  if(!d) d=document; if((p=n.indexOf("?"))>0&&parent.frames.length) {
		d=parent.frames[n.substring(p+1)].document; n=n.substring(0,p);}
	if(!(x=d[n])&&d.all) x=d.all[n]; for (i=0;!x&&i<d.forms.length;i++) x=d.forms[i][n];
	for(i=0;!x&&d.layers&&i<d.layers.length;i++) x=MM_oGetObject(n,d.layers[i].document); return x;
}