function ajax($url, $vars, $object) {

  if (XMLHttpRequest) {
    var $class = new XMLHttpRequest();
  } else {
    var $class = new ActiveXObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP.3.0");
  }

  $class.open("POST", $url, true);
  $class.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"); 

  $class.onreadystatechange = function() {
    if ($class.readyState == 4 && $class.status == 200) {
      if ($class.responseText){
        $obj = $class.responseText;
        $object($obj);
      }
    }  
  }
  $class.send($vars);
}

function alternate($id) {
  if (document.getElementsByTagName) {
    var table = document.getElementById($id);
    var rows = table.getElementsByTagName("tr");
    for (i = 1; i < rows.length; i++) {
      if (i % 2 == 0) {
        rows[i].className = "row2";
      } else {
        rows[i].className = "row1";
      }
    }
  }
}

function togglecheckboxes($formname) {
  $form = document.forms[$formname];
  for (i=0; i < $form.elements.length; i++) {
    $element = $form.elements[i];
    if ($element.type == "checkbox") {
      if ($element.checked) {
        $element.checked = false;
      } else {
        $element.checked = true;
      }
    }
  }
}