var http_request = false;
   var globalSpan;
   
   function makeRequest(url, parameters, span) {
   		globalSpan = span;
      http_request = false;
      if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari,...
         http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
         if (http_request.overrideMimeType) {
         	// set type accordingly to anticipated content type
            //http_request.overrideMimeType('text/xml');
            http_request.overrideMimeType('text/html');
         }
      } else if (window.ActiveXObject) { // IE
         try {
            http_request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
         } catch (e) {
            try {
               http_request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
            } catch (e) {}
         }
      }
      if (!http_request) {
         alert('Cannot create XMLHTTP instance');
         return false;
      }
      
      if(span != '')
	      http_request.onreadystatechange = alertContents;
      http_request.open('GET', url + parameters, true);
      http_request.send(null);
   }

   function alertContents() {
      if (http_request.readyState == 4) {
         if (http_request.status == 200) {
            //alert(http_request.responseText);
            result = http_request.responseText;
            document.getElementById(globalSpan).innerHTML = result;
         } else {
            alert('There was a problem with the request.');
         }
      }
   }
   
   function get(targetUrl, obj, span) {
   		document.getElementById(span).innerHTML = 'Loading please wait....';
   	
		  var getstr = "?";
		  
			  for (i=0; i<obj.getElementsByTagName("input").length; i++) {
			  	
			  		//alert(obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].tagName+' '+obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].name+' '+obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].value);
			  	
		        if (obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].type == "text") {
		           getstr += obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].name + "=" + 
		                   obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].value + "&";
		        }
		        if (obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].type == "hidden") {
		           getstr += obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].name + "=" + 
		                   obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].value + "&";
		        }
		        
		        if (obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].type == "checkbox") {
		           if (obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].checked) {
		              getstr += obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].name + "=" + 
		                   obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].value + "&";
		           } else {
		              getstr += obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].name + "=&";
		           }
		        }
		        if (obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].type == "radio") {
		           if (obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].checked) {
		              getstr += obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].name + "=" + 
		                   obj.getElementsByTagName("input")[i].value + "&";
		           }
		     }  
		  }
		  
		  for (i=0; i<obj.getElementsByTagName("select").length; i++) {
		  		var sel = obj.getElementsByTagName("select")[i];
		      getstr += sel.name + "=" + sel.options[sel.selectedIndex].value + "&";
		  }
		  
		  makeRequest(targetUrl, getstr, span);
		}