function shiftOpacity(id, millisec) { 
    //if an element is invisible, make it visible, else make it ivisible 
    if(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity == 0) { 
    
        opacity(id, 0, 100, millisec); 
        
    } else { 
        opacity(id, 100, 0, millisec); 
        
         
    }  
} 



function opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec, zIndexVisible, zIndexHidden) { 
    //speed for each frame 
    var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100); 
    var timer = 0; 

    //determine the direction for the blending, if start and end are the same nothing happens 
    if(opacStart > opacEnd) { 
        for(i = opacStart; i >= opacEnd; i--) { 
            setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed)); 
            timer++; 
            if(i == 0)
            {
                document.getElementById(id).style.display = "none";
                document.getElementById(id).style.zIndex = zIndexHidden;
            }
            
        }
         
        
    } else if(opacStart < opacEnd) { 
        for(i = opacStart; i <= opacEnd; i++) 
            { 
            setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed)); 
            timer++; 
            if (i== opacStart)
            {
                document.getElementById(id).style.display = "block";
                document.getElementById(id).style.zIndex = zIndexVisible;
            }
        } 
    } 
} 


//change the opacity for different browsers 
function changeOpac(opacity, id) { 
    var object = document.getElementById(id).style; 
    object.opacity = (opacity / 100); 
    object.MozOpacity = (opacity / 100); 
    object.KhtmlOpacity = (opacity / 100); 
    object.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + opacity + ")"; 
} 




function ChangeContent(id,content)
{
    var object = document.getElementById(id);
    object.src=content;
    //object.innerHTML = content
}


// update iframe
function updateIFrame(id,link, width, height)
{
    var iframe = document.getElementById(id);
    iframe.src = link;
    iframe.width = width;
    iframe.height = height;
}

function updateInfoFramePic(id, link, style)
{
    var pic = document.getElementById(id);
    
}

// change the calss of the object dynamically

function changeClass(id, newClass) {
	identity=document.getElementById(id);
	identity.className=newClass;
}


function updatePDF(link, id) {
    var iframe = document.getElementById(id);
    iframe.src = link;
    //iframe.reload();
}

// -->