function $() {
  var elements = new Array();

  for (var i = 0; i < arguments.length; i++) {
    var element = arguments[i];
    if (typeof element == 'string')
      element = document.getElementById(element);

    if (arguments.length == 1)
      return element;

    elements.push(element);
  }

  return elements;
}

function GetData(webFile, fnWhenDone)
{
	var myConn = new XHConn();
	if (!myConn) alert("XMLHTTP not available. Try a newer/better browser.");
	myConn.connect(webFile, "GET", "", fnWhenDone);	
}

function PostData(webFile, data, fnWhenDone)
{
	var myConn = new XHConn();
	if (!myConn) alert("XMLHTTP not available. Try a newer/better browser.");
	myConn.connect(webFile, "POST", data, fnWhenDone);
}

function XHConn()
{
  var xmlhttp, bComplete = false;
  try { xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP"); }
  catch (e) { try { xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); }
  catch (e) { try { xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest(); }
  catch (e) { xmlhttp = false; }}}
  if (!xmlhttp) return null;
  this.connect = function(sURL, sMethod, sVars, fnDone)
  {
    if (!xmlhttp) return false;
    bComplete = false;
    sMethod = sMethod.toUpperCase();

    try {
      if (sMethod == "GET")
      {
        xmlhttp.open(sMethod, sURL+ ((sURL.indexOf("?")==-1)? "?":"&")+sVars, true);
        sVars = "";
      }
      else
      {
        xmlhttp.open(sMethod, sURL, true);
        xmlhttp.setRequestHeader("Method", "POST "+sURL+" HTTP/1.1");
        xmlhttp.setRequestHeader("Content-Type",
          "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
      }
      xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function(){
        if (xmlhttp.readyState == 4 && !bComplete)
        {
          bComplete = true;
          fnDone(xmlhttp);
        }};
      xmlhttp.send(sVars);
    }
    catch(z) { firstPost = true; return false; }
    return true;
  };
  return this;
}
String.prototype.trim = function() 
{ 
return this.replace(/(^[\s]*)|([\s]*$)/g, ""); 
}