function valButton(theButton)
{
	// validate radio buttons
	myOption = -1;
    //alert(theButton.length);
	for (i=0; i < theButton.length; i++)
	{
        if (theButton[i].checked)
		{
		 myOption = i;
		}
	}
	if (myOption == -1)
	{
		return false;
	}
	return true;
}

function valNumber(theNumber)
{
	// only allow numbers to be entered
	var checkOK = "0123456789";
	var checkStr = theNumber.value;
	var allValid = true;
	var allNum = "";

	for (i = 0;  i < checkStr.length;  i++)
	{
		ch = checkStr.charAt(i);
		for (j = 0;  j < checkOK.length;  j++)
		if (ch == checkOK.charAt(j))
		break;
		if (j == checkOK.length)
		{
		allValid = false;
		break;
		}
		if (ch != ",")
		allNum += ch;
	}

	if (!allValid)
	{return (false);}

	return true;
}

// return the value of the radio button that is checked
// return an empty string if none are checked, or
// there are no radio buttons
function getCheckedValue(radioObj) {
	if(!radioObj)
		return "";
	var radioLength = radioObj.length;
	if(radioLength == undefined)
		if(radioObj.checked){
            return radioObj.value;
        }
		else{
			return "";
        }
	for(var i = 0; i < radioLength; i++) {
		if(radioObj[i].checked) {
            return radioObj[i].value;
		}
	}
	return "";
}

// set the radio button with the given value as being checked
// do nothing if there are no radio buttons
// if the given value does not exist, all the radio buttons
// are reset to unchecked
function setCheckedValue(radioObj, newValue) {
	if(!radioObj)
		return;
	var radioLength = radioObj.length;
	if(radioLength == undefined) {
		radioObj.checked = (radioObj.value == newValue.toString());
		return;
	}
	for(var i = 0; i < radioLength; i++) {
		radioObj[i].checked = false;
		if(radioObj[i].value == newValue.toString()) {
			radioObj[i].checked = true;
		}
	}
}