var http_request = false;
var div          = null;

function getHTTPRequest() {
	if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari,...
		http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
	} else if (window.ActiveXObject) { // IE
		try { http_request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
		} catch (e) {
			try { http_request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
			} catch (e) {}
		}
	}
	return http_request;
}

function makeRequest(url, pdiv) {
	html('status', '<img src=./images/activity.gif');
	div = pdiv;
	http_request = getHTTPRequest();
	if (http_request) {
		http_request.onreadystatechange = handleResponse;
		http_request.open('GET', url, true);
		http_request.send(null);
	}

	html('status', '');
}

// browser fires this periodically until readyState == 4
function handleResponse() {
	if (http_request.readyState == 4) {
		if (http_request.status == 200) {
			document.getElementById(div).innerHTML = http_request.responseText;
		}
	} // ignore other firings
}

// e.g. loading...
function html(div, text) {
	document.getElementById(div).innerHTML = text;
}