function createAjaxObj()
{
	var httprequest=false;
	if (window.XMLHttpRequest)
	{
		// if Mozilla, Safari etc
		httprequest=new XMLHttpRequest();
		if (httprequest.overrideMimeType)
		{
			httprequest.overrideMimeType('text/xml');
		}
		else
		{
			try 
		{
			httprequest=new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
		}
		catch (e)
		{
			try
			{
				httprequest=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
			}
			catch (e)
			{
			}
		}
		}
	}
	else if (window.ActiveXObject)
	{ 
		// if IE
		try 
		{
			httprequest=new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
		}
		catch (e)
		{
			try
			{
				httprequest=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
			}
			catch (e)
			{
			}
		}
	}
	return httprequest
}

// -------------------------------------------------------------------
// Main Ajax Ticker Object function
// ajax_ticker(xmlfile, divId, divClass, delay, optionalfadeornot)
// -------------------------------------------------------------------

function ajax_ticker(xmlfile, divId, divClass, delay, fadeornot)
{
	this.xmlfile=xmlfile; //Variable pointing to the local ticker xml file (txt)
	this.tickerid=divId; //ID of ticker div to display information
	this.delay=delay; //Delay between msg change, in miliseconds.
	this.mouseoverBol=0; //Boolean to indicate whether mouse is currently over ticker (and pause it if it is)
	this.pointer=0;
	this.opacitystring=(typeof fadeornot!="undefined")? "width: 100%; filter:progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.alpha(opacity=100); -moz-opacity: 1" : ""
	if (this.opacitystring!="") 
	{
			this.delay+=500;
	}
	//add 1/2 sec to account for fade effect, if enabled
	this.opacitysetting=0.2; //Opacity value when reset. Internal use.
	this.messages=[]; //Arrays to hold each message of ticker
	this.ajaxobj=createAjaxObj();
	document.write('<div id="'+divId+'" class="'+divClass+'"><div style="'+this.opacitystring+'">Initializing ticker...</div></div>');
	this.getXMLfile();
}

// -------------------------------------------------------------------
// getXMLfile()- Use Ajax to fetch xml file (txt)
// -------------------------------------------------------------------

ajax_ticker.prototype.getXMLfile=function()
{
	if (this.ajaxobj)
	{
		var instanceOfTicker=this;
		var url=this.xmlfile+"?bustcache="+new Date().getTime();
		this.ajaxobj.onreadystatechange=function(){instanceOfTicker.initialize();}
		this.ajaxobj.open('GET', url, true);
		this.ajaxobj.send(null);
	}
}

// -------------------------------------------------------------------
// initialize()- Initialize ticker method.
// -Gets contents of xml file and parse it using JavaScript DOM methods 
// -------------------------------------------------------------------

ajax_ticker.prototype.initialize=function()
{ 
	if (this.ajaxobj.readyState == 4)
	{ 
		//if request of file completed
		if (this.ajaxobj.status==200 || window.location.href.indexOf("http")==-1)
		{ 
			//if request was successful
			this.contentdiv=document.getElementById(this.tickerid).firstChild; //div of inner content that holds the messages
			var xmldata=this.ajaxobj.responseText;
			this.contentdiv.style.display="none";
			this.contentdiv.innerHTML=xmldata;
			if (this.contentdiv.getElementsByTagName("div").length==0)
			{ 
				//if no messages were found
				this.contentdiv.innerHTML="<b>Error</b> fetching remote ticker file!";
				return;
			}
			var instanceOfTicker=this;
			document.getElementById(this.tickerid).onmouseover=function(){instanceOfTicker.mouseoverBol=1};
			document.getElementById(this.tickerid).onmouseout=function(){instanceOfTicker.mouseoverBol=0};
			if (window.attachEvent) 
			{
				//Clean up loose references in IE
				window.attachEvent("onunload", function(){instanceOfTicker.contentdiv=instanceOfTicker.ajaxobj=null});
			}
			//Cycle through XML object and store each message inside array
			for (var i=0; i<this.contentdiv.getElementsByTagName("div").length; i++)
			{
				if (this.contentdiv.getElementsByTagName("div")[i].className=="message")
				this.messages[this.messages.length]=this.contentdiv.getElementsByTagName("div")[i].innerHTML
			}
			this.contentdiv.innerHTML="";
			this.contentdiv.style.display="block";
			this.rotatemsg();
		}
	}
}

// -------------------------------------------------------------------
// rotatemsg()- Rotate through ticker messages and displays them
// -------------------------------------------------------------------

ajax_ticker.prototype.rotatemsg=function()
{
	var instanceOfTicker=this;
	if (this.mouseoverBol==1)
	{
		//if mouse is currently over ticker, do nothing (pause it)
		setTimeout(function(){instanceOfTicker.rotatemsg()}, 100);
	}
	else
	{ 
		//else, construct item, show and rotate it!
		this.fadetransition("reset");
		//FADE EFFECT- RESET OPACITY
		this.contentdiv.innerHTML=this.messages[this.pointer];
		this.fadetimer1=setInterval(function(){instanceOfTicker.fadetransition('up', 'fadetimer1')}, 100);//FADE EFFECT- PLAY IT
		this.pointer=(this.pointer<this.messages.length-1)? this.pointer+1 : 0;
		setTimeout(function(){instanceOfTicker.rotatemsg()}, this.delay); //update container periodically
	}
}

// -------------------------------------------------------------------
// fadetransition()- cross browser fade method for IE5.5+ and Mozilla/Firefox
// -------------------------------------------------------------------

ajax_ticker.prototype.fadetransition=function(fadetype, timerid)
{
	var contentdiv=this.contentdiv;
	if (fadetype=="reset")
	{
		this.opacitysetting=0.2;
	}
	if (contentdiv.filters && contentdiv.filters[0])
	{
		if (typeof contentdiv.filters[0].opacity=="number")
		{
			//IE6+
			contentdiv.filters[0].opacity=this.opacitysetting*100;
		}
		else
		{
			//IE 5.5
			contentdiv.style.filter="alpha(opacity="+this.opacitysetting*100+")";
		}
	}
	else if (typeof contentdiv.style.MozOpacity!="undefined" && this.opacitystring!="")
	{
		contentdiv.style.MozOpacity=this.opacitysetting;
	}
	else
	{
		this.opacitysetting=1;
	}
	if (fadetype=="up")
	{
		this.opacitysetting+=0.1;
	}
	if (fadetype=="up" && this.opacitysetting>=1)
	{
		clearInterval(this[timerid]);
	}
}