function getObject(objectId) {
    // cross-browser function to get an object's style object given its id
    if(document.getElementById && document.getElementById(objectId)) {
		// W3C DOM
		return document.getElementById(objectId);
    } else if (document.all && document.all(objectId)) {
		// MSIE 4 DOM
		return document.all(objectId);
    } else if (document.layers && document.layers[objectId]) {
		// NN 4 DOM.. note: this won't find nested layers
		return document.layers[objectId];
    } else {
		return false;
    }
} // getStyleObject

function getStyleObject(objectId) {
    // cross-browser function to get an object's style object given its id
    if(document.getElementById && document.getElementById(objectId)) {
		// W3C DOM
		return document.getElementById(objectId).style;
    } else if (document.all && document.all(objectId)) {
		// MSIE 4 DOM
		return document.all(objectId).style;
    } else if (document.layers && document.layers[objectId]) {
		// NN 4 DOM.. note: this won't find nested layers
		return document.layers[objectId];
    } else {
		return false;
    }
} // getStyleObject

function changeObjectVisibility(objectId, newVisibility) {
    // get a reference to the cross-browser style object and make sure the object exists
    var styleObject = getStyleObject(objectId);
    if(styleObject) {
		styleObject.visibility = newVisibility;
		return true;
    } else {
		// we couldn't find the object, so we can't change its visibility
		return false;
    }
} // changeObjectVisibility

function changeObjectDisplay(objectId, newDisplay) {
    // get a reference to the cross-browser style object and make sure the object exists
    var styleObject = getStyleObject(objectId);
    if(styleObject) {
		styleObject.display = newDisplay;
		return true;
    } else {
		// we couldn't find the object, so we can't change its visibility
		return false;
    }
} // changeObjectDisplay

function moveObject(objectId, newXCoordinate, newYCoordinate) {
    // get a reference to the cross-browser style object and make sure the object exists
    var styleObject = getStyleObject(objectId);
    if(styleObject) {
		styleObject.left = newXCoordinate;
		styleObject.top  = newYCoordinate;

		return true;
    } else {
		// we couldn't find the object, so we can't very well move it
		return false;
    }
} // moveObject

function displayText(objectId, text){
	if (document.all) {
		document.all[objectId].innerHTML = text;
	}
	else {
		var obj = document.getElementById(objectId);
		obj.innerHTML = text;  
	}
} // displayText