/*
==================================================================
LTrim(string) : Returns a copy of a string without leading spaces.
==================================================================
*/
function LTrim(str)
/*
   PURPOSE: Remove leading blanks from our string.
   IN: str - the string we want to LTrim
*/
{

	return str.toString().replace(/^\s+/,'');
}

/*
==================================================================
RTrim(string) : Returns a copy of a string without trailing spaces.
==================================================================
*/
function RTrim(str)
/*
   PURPOSE: Remove trailing blanks from our string.
   IN: str - the string we want to RTrim

*/
{

	return str.toString().replace(/\s+$/,'').toString();
}

/*
=============================================================
Trim(string) : Returns a copy of a string without leading or trailing spaces
=============================================================
*/
function Trim(str)
/*
   PURPOSE: Remove trailing and leading blanks from our string.
   IN: str - the string we want to Trim

   RETVAL: A Trimmed string!
*/
{
   
   return str.toString().replace(/^\s+/,'').replace(/\s+$/,'');
}


/*
=============================================================
replaceSubstring(string, fromstr, tostr) : Returns a copy of a string 
with all fromstrings replaced with tostring.
=============================================================
TODO: Convert to use of regular expressions.
*/

function replaceSubstring(inputString, fromString, toString) {
   // Goes through the inputString and replaces every occurrence of fromString with toString
   var temp = inputString;
   if (fromString == "") {
      return inputString;
   }
   if (toString.indexOf(fromString) == -1) { // If the string being replaced is not a part of the replacement string (normal situation)
      while (temp.indexOf(fromString) != -1) {
         var toTheLeft = temp.substring(0, temp.indexOf(fromString));
         var toTheRight = temp.substring(temp.indexOf(fromString)+fromString.length, temp.length);
         temp = toTheLeft + toString + toTheRight;
      }
   } else { // String being replaced is part of replacement string (like "+" being replaced with "++") - prevent an infinite loop
      var midStrings = new Array("~", "`", "_", "^", "#");
      var midStringLen = 1;
      var midString = "";
      // Find a string that doesn't exist in the inputString to be used
      // as an "inbetween" string
      while (midString == "") {
         for (var i=0; i < midStrings.length; i++) {
            var tempMidString = "";
            for (var j=0; j < midStringLen; j++) { tempMidString += midStrings[i]; }
            if (fromString.indexOf(tempMidString) == -1) {
               midString = tempMidString;
               i = midStrings.length + 1;
            }
         }
      } // Keep on going until we build an "inbetween" string that doesn't exist
      // Now go through and do two replaces - first, replace the "fromString" with the "inbetween" string
      while (temp.indexOf(fromString) != -1) {
         var toTheLeft = temp.substring(0, temp.indexOf(fromString));
         var toTheRight = temp.substring(temp.indexOf(fromString)+fromString.length, temp.length);
         temp = toTheLeft + midString + toTheRight;
      }
      // Next, replace the "inbetween" string with the "toString"
      while (temp.indexOf(midString) != -1) {
         var toTheLeft = temp.substring(0, temp.indexOf(midString));
         var toTheRight = temp.substring(temp.indexOf(midString)+midString.length, temp.length);
         temp = toTheLeft + toString + toTheRight;
      }
   } // Ends the check to see if the string being replaced is part of the replacement string or not
   return temp; // Send the updated string back to the user
} // Ends the "replaceSubstring" function


/*
=============================================================
xmlFormatJS(string) : Returns a string 
escapes the basic characters for embedding a string in xml
=============================================================
*/
function xmlFormatJS(xmlString)
{
	newString = "";
	for(var i=0;i<xmlString.length;i++)
	{
		curChar = xmlString.charAt(i);
		switch(curChar)
		{
		case "<":
			newString = newString + '&lt';
			break;
		case ">":
			newString = newString + '&gt';
			break;
		case "&":
			newString = newString + '&amp;';
			break;
		case "\"":
			newString = newString + '&quot;';
			break;
		case "'":
			newString = newString + '&apos';
			break;
		default:
			newString = newString + curChar;
			break;
		}
	}
	return newString;
}