function trim(inputString) 
{
	// Removes leading and trailing spaces from the passed string. Also removes
   	// consecutive spaces and replaces it with one space. If something besides
   	// a string is passed in (null, custom object, etc.) then return the input.
	
   	if (typeof inputString != "string") { return inputString; }
   	var retValue = inputString;
   	var ch = retValue.substring(0, 1);
   	while (ch == " ") { // Check for spaces at the beginning of the string
 	 	retValue = retValue.substring(1, retValue.length);
     		ch = retValue.substring(0, 1);
   	}
   	ch = retValue.substring(retValue.length-1, retValue.length);
   	while (ch == " ") { // Check for spaces at the end of the string
      		retValue = retValue.substring(0, retValue.length-1);
      		ch = retValue.substring(retValue.length-1, retValue.length);
   	}
   	while (retValue.indexOf("  ") != -1) { // Note that there are two spaces in the string - look for multiple spaces within the string
      		retValue = retValue.substring(0, retValue.indexOf("  ")) + retValue.substring(retValue.indexOf("  ")+1, retValue.length); // Again, there are two spaces in each of the strings
   	}
   	return retValue; // Return the trimmed string back to the user
} 
/*********************************************************
validateText()
This function checks to make sure the user has entered
data into a text-only field.
Arguments:
fld = field
errMsg = english name of field for display on error
**********************************************************/
function validateText(fld, errMsg)
{
	if(trim(fld.value)=="")
	{
		alert("Please enter a value for " + errMsg + ".");
		fld.focus();
		fld.style.backgroundColor='#E61117' ;
		fld.style.color='#ffffff';
		return false;	
	}//endif
	fld.style.backgroundColor='#DCDCDC' ;
	fld.style.color='#000000';
	return true;
}//endfunction validatetext
/*********************************************************
validateNumber()
This function checks that the value of a field is a number
and, optionally within a certain range.
Arguments:
fld = field
errMsg = english name of field for display on error
min = Optional minimum allowed value
max = Optional maximum allowed value
**********************************************************/
function validateNumber(fld, errMsg, min, max)
{
	if(fld.value=="")
	{
		alert("Please enter a value for " + errMsg + ".");
		fld.focus();
		fld.style.backgroundColor='#E61117' ;
		fld.style.color='#ffffff';
		return false;	
	}//endif
	
	//check to see if it is a number	
	var n=parseFloat(fld.value);
	
	if(isNaN(n))
	{
		alert("Please enter a valid number for " + errMsg + ".");
		fld.focus();
		fld.style.backgroundColor='#E61117' ;
		fld.style.color='#ffffff';
		return false;	
	}//endif
	// check to see if the number is less than the minimum
	if ( min && n < min ) 	
	{
		alert("Please enter a number greater than " + min + " for " + errMsg + ".");
		fld.focus();
		fld.style.backgroundColor='#E61117' ;
		fld.style.color='#ffffff';
		return false;	
	}//endif
	// check to see if the number is more than the maximum
	if ( max && n > max )
	{
		alert("Please enter a number less than " + max + " for " + errMsg + ".");
		fld.focus();
		fld.style.backgroundColor='#E61117' ;
		fld.style.color='#ffffff';
		return false;	
	}//endif
	fld.style.backgroundColor='#DCDCDC' ;
	fld.style.color='#000000';
	return true;
}//endfunction validateNumber
/*********************************************************
validateDate()
This function checks to make sure the user has entered
a date.
Arguments:
fld = field
errMsg = english name of field for display on error
**********************************************************/
function validateDate(fld, errMsg)
{
	var stDate = new Date(fld.value);
	if (stDate == "NaN")
	{
		alert("Please enter a valid date for " + errMsg + ".");
		fld.focus();
		fld.style.backgroundColor='#E61117' ;
		fld.style.color='#ffffff';
		return false;	
	}
	fld.style.backgroundColor='#DCDCDC' ;
	fld.style.color='#000000';	
	return true;
}//endfunction validateDate
/*********************************************************
validateSelect()
This function checks to make sure the user has selected
an option from a combobox or multi-select list box.
Arguments:
fld = field
errMsg = english name of field for display on error
**********************************************************/
function validateSelect(fld, errMsg)
{
	
	var idx=fld.selectedIndex;
	
	if(idx== -1)
	{
		alert("Please choose a value for " + errMsg + ".");
		fld.focus();
		return false;	
	}//endif
	return true;
}//endfunction validateSelect
/*********************************************************
validateCombobox()
This function checks to make sure the user has selected
an option from a combobox.  (The first option should 
always be "(please select)"
Arguments:
fld = field
errMsg = english name of field for display on error
**********************************************************/
function validateCombobox(fld, errMsg)
{
	
	var idx=fld.selectedIndex;
	
	if(idx== -1 || idx==0 )
	{
		alert("Please choose a value for " + errMsg + ".");
		fld.focus();
		return false;	
	}//endif
	return true;
}//endfunction validateCombobox
/*********************************************************
validateRadio()
This function checks to make sure the user has entered
an option for a radio button
Arguments:
fld = field
errMsg = english name of field for display on error
**********************************************************/
function validateRadio(fld, errMsg)
{
	for(i=0;i<fld.length;i++)
	{
		if(fld[i].checked==true)
		{
			return true;
		}//endif
	}//endfor
	alert("Please select a choice for " + errMsg + ".");
	fld[0].focus();
	return false;
}//endfunction validateRadio
/*********************************************************
validateCheckbox()
This function checks to make sure the user has selected
at least one option
Arguments:
fld = field
errMsg = english name of field for display on error
**********************************************************/
function validateCheckbox(fld, errMsg)
{
	for (index = 0; index < fld.length; index++)
	{
		if (certs[index].checked)
			return true;
	}
	alert("Please select at least one choice for " + errMsg + ".");
	fld[0].focus();
	return false;
}//endfunction validateCheckbox
/*********************************************************
validatePhone()
This function checks to make sure the user has entered
a correctly formatted phone number
Arguments:
fld = field
errMsg = english name of field for display on error
**********************************************************/
function validatePhone(fld, errMsg)
{
	var phone = fld.value;		// retrieve the value
	if(phone == "")
	{
		alert("Please enter a phone number for " + errMsg + ".");
		fld.focus();
		return false;	
	}//endif
	// Phone number entered with dashes or dots
	if (phone.length == 12)
	{
		while (phone.indexOf(".") > -1)
		{
			phone = phone.replace(".", "-");
		}
		fld.value = phone;
		return true;
	} // end if
	// Phone entered with no punctuation
	if (phone.length == 10)
	{
		phone = phone.substr(0, 3) + "-" + 
			phone.substr(3, 3) + "-" + phone.substr(6, 4);
		fld.value = phone;
		return true;
	} // end if
	// we can't deal with this format
	alert("Please enter your phone number in one of the following formats:" +
            "\n\n    999.999.9999 or " + 
            "\n    999-999-9999 or " + 
            "\n    9999999999.");
	fld.focus();
	return false;
} // end function validatePhone
/*********************************************************
checkAmount()
This function checks to make sure the user has entered a
valid currency value.
Arguments:
fld = field
**********************************************************/
function checkAmount (fld)
{
	var input = fld.value;
	num = input.toString().replace(/,|\$/, '')	
	var n = parseFloat(num);
	
	if (fld.value !="")
	{
		if(isNaN(n))
		{
			alert ("Amount must be a numeric value.");
			fld.focus();
			return input;
		} // end if
		return formatCurrency(n);
	}
	return input;
}
/*********************************************************
formatCurrency()
This is a helper function for checkAmount()
**********************************************************/
function formatCurrency(input) 
{
	num = input.toString().replace(/,|\$/, '')	
	if(isNaN(num))
	num = "0";
	
	sign = (num == (num = Math.abs(num)));
	num = Math.floor(num*100+0.50000000001);
	cents = num%100;
	num = Math.floor(num/100).toString();
	if(cents<10)
		cents = "0" + cents;
	for (var i = 0; i < Math.floor((num.length-(1+i))/3); i++)
	num = num.substring(0,num.length-(4*i+3))+','+
	num.substring(num.length-(4*i+3));
	return (((sign)?'':'-') + num + '.' + cents);
}