function getObjectByName(theForm, someName) {

    for(i=0; i < theForm.elements.length; i++)
    {
        if (theForm.elements[i].name == someName)
            return theForm.elements[i];
    }
    return null;
}

function MsgOkCancel(argvalue) 
{ 
    var fRet; 
    fRet = confirm(argvalue); 
    return fRet;
} 

function refresh(url) {
	var sURL = unescape(url);
	window.location.href = sURL;
}


function getElementsById(sId)
 {
    var outArray = new Array();	
	if(typeof(sId)!='string' || !sId)
	{
		return outArray;
	};
	
	if(document.evaluate)
	{
		var xpathString = "//*[@id='" + sId.toString() + "']"
		var xpathResult = document.evaluate(xpathString, document, null, 0, null);
		while ((outArray[outArray.length] = xpathResult.iterateNext())) { }
		outArray.pop();
	}
	else if(document.all)
	{
		
		for(var i=0,j=document.all[sId].length;i<j;i+=1){
		outArray[i] =  document.all[sId][i];}
		
	}else if(document.getElementsByTagName)
	{
	
		var aEl = document.getElementsByTagName( '*' );	
		for(var i=0,j=aEl.length;i<j;i+=1){
		
			if(aEl[i].id == sId )
			{
				outArray.push(aEl[i]);
			};
		};	
		
	};
	
	return outArray;
}

function trim(sInString) {
  sInString = sInString.replace( /^\s+/g, "" );// strip leading
  return sInString.replace( /\s+$/g, "" );// strip trailing
}


<!-- Dynamic Version by: Nannette Thacker -->
<!-- http://www.shiningstar.net -->
<!-- Original by :  Ronnie T. Moore -->
<!-- Web Site:  The JavaScript Source -->
<!-- Use one function for multiple text areas on a page -->
<!-- Limit the number of characters per textarea -->
<!-- Begin
function textCounter(field,cntfield,maxlimit) {
if (field.value.length > maxlimit) // if too long...trim it!
field.value = field.value.substring(0, maxlimit);
// otherwise, update 'characters left' counter
else
cntfield.value = maxlimit - field.value.length;
}
//  End -->


function getElementsByAttribute(the_attribute, the_value, the_node) {
        if ( the_node == null )
             the_node = document;
        var node_tags = the_node.getElementsByTagName('*');
	var results = new Array();
	for (i=0, j=0; i<node_tags.length;i++) {
		if (node_tags[i].getAttribute(the_attribute) != null) {
			if (node_tags[i].getAttribute(the_attribute) == the_value) {
			  	results[j] = node_tags[i];
            	                j++;
			}
		}
	}
	return results;
}