var TimeToFade = 250.0;

function fade(eid)
{
  var element = document.getElementById(eid);
  if(element == null)
    return;
   
  if(element.FadeState == null)
  {
  //alert('alert1:element.FadeState:' + element.FadeState);
    if(element.style.opacity == null
        || element.style.opacity == ''
        || element.style.opacity == '0.8')
    {
      element.FadeState = -2;
    }
    else
    {
      element.FadeState = 2;
    }
  }
   
  if(element.FadeState == 1 || element.FadeState == -1)
  {
  //alert('alert2:element.FadeState:' + element.FadeState);
    element.FadeState = element.FadeState == 1 ? -1 : 1;
    element.FadeTimeLeft = TimeToFade - element.FadeTimeLeft;
  }
  else
  {
  //alert('alert3:element.FadeState:' + element.FadeState);
    element.FadeState = element.FadeState == 2 ? -1 : 1;
    element.FadeTimeLeft = TimeToFade;
    element.style.visibility = element.FadeState == 2		/*element.style.display = element.FadeState == 2*/
        ? 'hidden' : 'visible';					/*? 'none' : 'block';*/
    setTimeout("animateFade(" + new Date().getTime()
        + ",'" + eid + "')", 33);
        
  //*** delay here - this is the only way transparency remains in IE - not sure why???!!!
  //alert('alert4');
  pausecomp(element.FadeTimeLeft);
  }
}

function pausecomp(millis)
{
var date = new Date();
var curDate = null;

do { curDate = new Date(); }
while(curDate-date < millis);
} 

function animateFade(lastTick, eid)
{
  var curTick = new Date().getTime();
  var elapsedTicks = curTick - lastTick;
 
  var element = document.getElementById(eid);
 
  if(element.FadeTimeLeft <= elapsedTicks)
  {
  //alert('fadeAlert1:elapsedTicks:' + elapsedTicks);
    element.style.visibility = element.FadeState == 1		/*element.style.display = element.FadeState == 1*/
        ? 'visible' : 'hidden';					/*? 'block' : 'none';*/
    element.style.opacity = element.FadeState == 1
        ? '1' : '0';						/*? '.85' : '0';*/
    //****** this causes opaqueness in transparencies in IE *******//
    //element.style.filter = 'alpha(opacity = '
    //    + (element.FadeState == 1 ? '100' : '0') + ')';		/*+ (element.FadeState == 1 ? '85' : '0') + ')';*/
    element.FadeState = element.FadeState == 1 ? 2 : -2; 
    return;
  }
 
  element.FadeTimeLeft -= elapsedTicks;
  var newOpVal = element.FadeTimeLeft/TimeToFade;
  if(element.FadeState == 1)
    newOpVal = 1 - newOpVal;

  newOpVal = newOpVal*1;					/*newOpVal = newOpVal*0.85;*/
  element.style.opacity = newOpVal;
  element.style.filter =
      'alpha(opacity = ' + (newOpVal*100) + ')';
 
  setTimeout("animateFade(" + curTick
      + ",'" + eid + "')", 33);
}