// verify an email address
function isEmail(email) {
	var regex = /^[a-z0-9]\w*([-.]\w+)*@[a-z0-9]\w*([-.]\w+)*\.([a-z]{2,7})$/i;
	return regex.test(email);
}

function is_date(val) {	
	var rgx = /^\d{2}\/\d{2}\/\d{4}$/;
	return rgx.test(val);
}

// check that only text was entered, no punctation
function match_text(s) {
	var regex = /^[a-zA-Z0-9 ]*$/;
	return regex.test(s);
}

function searchList(list, val) {
	val = val.toLowerCase();
	// search a listbox for the given value
	var l = document.getElementById(list);
	var nodeList = document.getElementsByTagName("option");
	
	for(var i=0; i<nodeList.length; i++) {		
		if(ajax.getInnerText(nodeList[i]).toLowerCase() == val) return true;
	}	
}

function setVisible(element, visible) {
	var e = document.getElementById(element);
	if(e == null) alert(element + " not found");
	else e.className = visible ? "" : "hidden";	
}

function isVisible(element) {
	var e = document.getElementById(element);
	return (e.className == "hidden" ? false : true);
}

function exists(element) {
	return !(document.getElementById(element) == null);
}