function newRequest() {

// create the XML data structures

  req = false;
  // For Safari, Firefox, and other non-MS browsers
  if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
    try {
      req = new XMLHttpRequest();
      XML = new XMLHttpRequest();
    }
    catch (e) {
      req = false;
      XML = false;
    }
  }

  else if (window.ActiveXObject) {
    // For Internet Explorer on Windows
    try {
      req = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
      XML = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
    }
    catch (e) {
      try {
        req = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
        XML = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
      } catch (e) {
        req = false;
        XML = false;
} } } }

// *******************************************************************

function newData() {  // called when XML data is returned

  if (XML.readyState != 4) {
    return;
  }

// once the data is loaded reset the newDataLoaded flag for the diaplyData routine

  if (XML.status == 200) {
    if (XML.responseXML) {
      newDataLoaded = true;
      message.innerHTML = "";
    }
    else {
      message.innerHTML = "Error retrieving new XML data. (data is not XML)";
    }
  }
  else {
    message.innerHTML = "Error retrieving new XML data. (" + XML.status + ")";
  }

}

// *******************************************************************

function getXML(dontWait) {

  newDataLoaded	= false;
  XML.open("POST", "edot.xml", dontWait);

  if (dontWait) {
    XML.onreadystatechange = newData;
  }

  XML.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
  XML.send("");

  if (dontWait) {
    message.innerHTML = "";
  }
  else {
    req = XML;
  }

}

// *******************************************************************
// *******************************************************************

function parseData() {

   var xml = (req.responseXML);  // get the actuall XML data
   if (xml) {  // is it really XML data?

// extract the parameters
      params	= xml.getElementsByTagName("parameters");
      var this_param = params[0];

      rows	= this_param.attributes.getNamedItem("ROW_COUNT").value;
      cols	= this_param.attributes.getNamedItem("COLUMN_COUNT").value;
      dataTS	= this_param.attributes.getNamedItem("TIMESTAMP").value;
      pageCount	= this_param.attributes.getNamedItem("PAGE_COUNT").value;
      referesh	= this_param.attributes.getNamedItem("REFRESH_RATE").value;

// load the raw data into global data structures
      all_codes	= xml.getElementsByTagName("code");
      all_papers= xml.getElementsByTagName("paper");

// extract the sytle data
      var instr	= xml.getElementsByTagName("instr");
      var instr	= instr[0];
      var header= xml.getElementsByTagName("header");
      var header= header[0];
      var cells	= xml.getElementsByTagName("cells");
      var cells	= cells[0];

      var instrFontSize	= instr.attributes.getNamedItem("fontSize").value;
      var headerFontSize= header.attributes.getNamedItem("fontSize").value;
      var headerColor	= header.attributes.getNamedItem("color").value;
      var headerbgColor	= header.attributes.getNamedItem("bgColor").value;
      var cellsFontSize	= cells.attributes.getNamedItem("fontSize").value;

// set the styles based on the data extracted
      var hdr = document.getElementById ("HDR");
      hdr.style.fontSize	= headerFontSize;
      hdr.style.color		= headerColor;
      hdr.style.backgroundColor	= headerbgColor;

// set the attributes of the style sheets for the table cells
      var theRules = new Array();
      if (document.styleSheets[0].cssRules) {
         theRules = document.styleSheets[0].cssRules;
      }
      else if (document.styleSheets[0].rules) {
         theRules = document.styleSheets[0].rules;
      }

      theRules[0].style.fontSize = cellsFontSize;
      theRules[1].style.fontSize = instrFontSize;

// set the table cells background color style
      var all_statusColor = xml.getElementsByTagName("statusColor");

      for (var i = 0; i < all_statusColor.length; i++) {
         thisStatusColor = all_statusColor[i];
         var fgColor = thisStatusColor.attributes.getNamedItem("color").value;
         var bgColor = thisStatusColor.attributes.getNamedItem("backgroundColor").value;
         theRules[i+3].style.color		= fgColor;
         theRules[i+3].style.backgroundColor	= bgColor;
      }

   return (true);
   }

   return (false);

}

// *******************************************************************

function gen_cell_data (row, col) {

// write the paper data for a single element in the array (indx)
// get the data for this paper from the XML data structure
// indx is calculate based on the cells being built row by row
// whereas the paper data is displayed sorted column by column

var indx = ( (thisPage-1)*(rows*cols) ) + ((col-1)*rows) + row - 1

   if (indx <= all_papers.length-1 ) {  // else no more papers
      var this_paper	= all_papers[indx];
      var ID		= this_paper.attributes.getNamedItem("SESSION").value;
      var SEQ		= this_paper.attributes.getNamedItem("SEQUENCE").value;
      var CODE		= this_paper.attributes.getNamedItem("CODE").value;
      bodyText = bodyText + '<TD CLASS=editor_' + CODE + '>' + ID + SEQ + '</TD>';

  }
}

// *******************************************************************

function displayData() {

// update the current data (req) with new data (XML)
  if (thisPage == 1) {
    if (newDataLoaded) {
       req = XML;
       parseData();
  } }

// create the table data

  bodyText = "<TABLE BORDER=\"0\" CELLPADDING=\"5\" CELLSPACING=\"5\">";

// loop through the rows and columns and write the data
  for (var i = 1; i <= rows; i++) {
    bodyText = bodyText + "<TR>";

    for (var j = 1; j <= cols; j++) {
       gen_cell_data(i, j);
    }
    bodyText = bodyText + "</TR>";
  }

  bodyText		= bodyText + "</TABLE>";
  bodyHTML.innerHTML	= bodyText;

// set some informative text
  pages.innerHTML	= "Page " + thisPage + " of " + pageCount;
  timestamp.innerHTML	= dataTS;

// requery the XML data; but do not wait; javascript keeps running
  if (thisPage == pageCount) {
    getXML(true);
  }

  thisPage = thisPage + 1;

// loop back to the first page after displaying the last page
  if (thisPage > pageCount) {
    thisPage	= 1;
  }

// Note: refresh rate in seconds, function requires milliseconds
  setTimeout ("displayData()", referesh*1000);

}

// *******************************************************************
// *******************************************************************

function loadDots() {

// message is needed to display any error messages on the web browser.
  message = document.getElementById ("MSG");

// create the data structures
  newRequest();
  if (!req) {
    message.innerHTML = "newRequest failed";
    return;
  }

// initial load of the XML data; wait for data to return
  getXML(false);
  if (req.status != 200) {
    message.innerHTML = "There was a communications error.";
    return;
  }

  if (parseData()) {
//  more browser text fiedls
    pages		= document.getElementById ("PAGES");
    timestamp		= document.getElementById ("TIMESTAMP");
    bodyHTML		= document.getElementById ("BODYHTML");

// initialization
    bodyText		= "";
    thisPage		= 1;
    newDataLoaded	= false;

// write the data into the table cells;  this kicks of an infinite loop
    displayData();
  }
  else {
    message.innerHTML = "Error parsing data.";
  }

} // end of function