function makeRequest(url, parameters) {

	//alert(url + parameters);
	//parameters = parameters.replace(/&/g,"%26");//&

	http_request = false;
	if (window.ActiveXObject) { // IE
		try {
			http_request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
		} catch (e) {
			try {
				http_request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
			} catch (e) {}
		}
	} else if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {// Mozilla, Safari,...xmlHttpReq.overrideMimeType
		http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
		if (http_request.overrideMimeType) {
			// set type accordingly to anticipated content type
			http_request.overrideMimeType('text/xml');
		}else{ alert('Did not create *http_request.overrideMimeType*'); return false; }
	} 

	if (!http_request) {

		alert('Cannot create XMLHTTP instance');
		return false;

	}

	http_request.onreadystatechange = alertContents;

	/*	change & to ^^ so that & gets passed in the URI	*/
	if (!empty(parameters) && !is_int(parameters)) { 
		for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
			/*	change & to ^^ so that & gets passed in the URI	*/
			var parameters = parameters.replace("&", "^^"); 
			/*	change \n to <br> so that \n gets passed in the URI	*/
			var parameters = parameters.replace("\n", "<br>"); 
		}
	}

	/*	change # to ^ so that # gets passed in the URI	*/
	if (!empty(parameters) && !is_int(parameters)) { var parameters = parameters.replace("#", "^"); }

	// FOR GET VARS
	http_request.open('GET', url + parameters, true);
	//alert(parameters);
	http_request.send(null);
	
}

function alertContents() {
	if (http_request.readyState == 4) {
	 if (http_request.status == 200) {
		//alert(http_request.responseText);
		result = http_request.responseText;
		document.getElementById('myspan').innerHTML = result;
	 } else {
		//alert('There was a problem with the request.');
	 }
	}
}


/*	this function calls a page that gets a value from the db then displays it in the text area.	*/
/*	var field_name = dynamic search field to effect	*/
/*	var search_id = id or search value	*/
function getData(field_name,search_id,step,num){ 
	
	//alert(field_name+search_id);

	var req = null;
    var input = document.getElementById(field_name);
	input.value = "Started...";

	var req; 
	try
	{
		req = new XMLHttpRequest();
	}
	catch (e1)
	{ 
		// Internet Explorer Browsers
		try
		{ 
			req = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
		}
		catch (e2) 
		{ 
			
			try
			{ 
				req = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
			}
			catch (e3)
			{ 
				return false;
			}
		}
	}

	req.onreadystatechange = function()
	{
		input.value = "";
		if(req.readyState == 4)
		{
			if(req.status == 200)
			{
				input.value = req.responseText;
			}
			else
			{
				input.value = "Error: returned status code " + req.status + " " + req.statusText;
			}
		}
	};
	req.open("GET", "http://www.quizmarketing.com/app/ajax_get_data.php?search_id="+search_id+"&field_name="+field_name+"&step="+step+"&num="+num, true);
	req.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
	req.send(null);
}

// {{{ empty
function empty( mixed_var ) {
    // Determine whether a variable is empty
    // 
    // +    discuss at: http://kevin.vanzonneveld.net/techblog/article/javascript_equivalent_for_phps_empty/
    // +       version: 809.1713
    // +   original by: Philippe Baumann
    // +      input by: Onno Marsman
    // +   bugfixed by: Kevin van Zonneveld (http://kevin.vanzonneveld.net)
    // +      input by: LH
    // *     example 1: empty(null);
    // *     returns 1: true
    // *     example 2: empty(undefined);
    // *     returns 2: true
    // *     example 3: empty([]);
    // *     returns 3: true
    
    if (mixed_var === "" 
        || mixed_var === 0   
        || mixed_var === "0"
        || mixed_var === null  
        || mixed_var === false
        || mixed_var === undefined    
        || ((typeof mixed_var == 'array' || typeof mixed_var == 'object') && mixed_var.length === 0) ){
        return true;
    }
    
    return false;
}// }}}

// {{{ is_int
function is_int( mixed_var ) {
    // Find whether the type of a variable is integer
    // 
    // +    discuss at: http://kevin.vanzonneveld.net/techblog/article/javascript_equivalent_for_phps_is_int/
    // +       version: 809.522
    // +   original by: Alex
    // +   improved by: Kevin van Zonneveld (http://kevin.vanzonneveld.net)
    // *     example 1: is_int(186.31);
    // *     returns 1: false
    // *     example 2: is_int(12);
    // *     returns 2: true

    var y = parseInt(mixed_var * 1);
    
    if (isNaN(y)) {
        return false;
    }
    
    return mixed_var == y && mixed_var.toString() == y.toString(); 
}// }}}