var Utilities = {
	_isIE : null,
	
	getPrevNode : function(node, nodeName) {
		var checkNode = node.previousSibling;
		while(checkNode != null) {
			if(checkNode.nodeName.toLowerCase() == nodeName.toLowerCase()) {
				return checkNode;
			}
			checkNode = checkNode.previousSibling;
		}
		return null;
	},
	
	getNextNode : function(node, nodeName) {
		if(node == null) {
			throw "Utilities.getNextNode: node is a null reference";
		}
		var checkNode = node.nextSibling;
		while(checkNode != null) {
			if(checkNode.nodeName.toLowerCase() == nodeName.toLowerCase()) {
				return checkNode;
			}
			checkNode = checkNode.nextSibling;
		}
		return null;
	},
	
	getAncestorNode : function(node, nodeName) {
		var parent = node.parentNode;
		while(parent != null) {
			if(parent.nodeName.toLowerCase() == nodeName.toLowerCase()) {
				return parent;
			}
			parent = parent.parentNode;
		}
	},
	
	getImmediateChildNode : function(node, nodeName) {
		for(var i = 0; i < node.childNodes.length; i++) {
			var child = node.childNodes[i];
			if(child.nodeName.toLowerCase() == nodeName.toLowerCase()) {
				return child;
			}
		}
		return null;
	},
	
	fixEvent : function(event) {
		if(!event) {
			event = window.event;
		}

		if(event.target) {
			// get parent node of text node
			if(event.target.nodeType == 3) event.target = event.target.parentNode;
		} else if (event.srcElement) {
			event.target = event.srcElement;
		}

		return event;
	},
	
	getPageX : function(event) {
		return event.clientX + document.body.scrollLeft;
	},
	
	getPageY : function(event) {
		return event.clientY + document.body.scrollTop;
	},
	
	trim : function(text) {
		if(text == null) return text;
		var ws = " \n\t";
		// trim end
		while(text.length > 0 && ws.indexOf(text.charAt(text.length - 1)) != -1) {
			text = text.substr(0, text.length - 1);
		}
		// trim start
		while(text.length > 0 && ws.indexOf(text.charAt(0)) != -1) {
			text = text.substring(1, text.length);
		}
		return text;
	},
	
	// makes a string of <characters> repeated <repeat> times.
	makeString : function(characters, repeat) {
		var result = "";
		for(var i = 0; i < repeat; i++) {
			result += characters;
		}
		return result;
	},
	
	getOffsetTop : function(element) {				
		var top = element.offsetTop;
		var parent = element.offsetParent;
		while(parent != null) {
			top += parent.offsetTop;
			parent = parent.offsetParent;
		}
		return top;
	},
	
	getOffsetLeft : function(element) {
		var left = element.offsetLeft;
		var parent = element.offsetParent;
		while(parent != null) {
			left += parent.offsetLeft;
			parent = parent.offsetParent;
		}
		return left;
	},
	
	isIE : function() {
		if(Utilities._isIE == null) {
			var ua = navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase();
			Utilities._isIE = ((ua.indexOf("msie") != -1) && (ua.indexOf("opera") == -1) && (ua.indexOf("webtv") == -1));
		}
		return Utilities._isIE;
	}
	
	
}