function createAjaxObject() {
    var ro;
    var browser = navigator.appName;
    if(browser == "Microsoft Internet Explorer"){
        ro = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
    } else {
        ro = new XMLHttpRequest();
    }
    return ro;
}

function serverRequest(href,responseFunction) {

    var ajaxRequest=new createAjaxObject();

    function handleAjaxResponse() {

        if(ajaxRequest.readyState == 4) {
            if (responseFunction) {

              var response=ajaxRequest.responseText;
              responseFunction(response);
            }
        }
    }

    ajaxRequest.onreadystatechange = handleAjaxResponse;

    ajaxRequest.open("GET",href,true);

    ajaxRequest.setRequestHeader("If-Modified-Since", "Sat, 1 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT");
    ajaxRequest.send(null);

}

function showHourglass(visible) {  

	if (visible) {
		if (!document.getElementById("guiImgHourglass")) {
			var i=document.createElement("img");
			i.src="layout/animated_hourglass.gif";
			i.className="hourglass";
			i.id="guiImgHourglass";
			document.body.appendChild(i);
		} else {
			guiImgHourglass.style.visibility="visible";	
		}
	} else {
		guiImgHourglass.style.visibility="hidden";	
	}
}