onload = startBanner;
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//
	function showMessage(n, show)
	{
		var whichEl = (NS4) ? eval("message" + n) : eval("message" + n + ".style");
	  	whichEl.visibility = (show) ? ((NS4) ? "show" : "visible") : ((NS4) ? "hide" : "hidden");
	}
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//
	function nextMessage()
	{
	  	var fromInd = current;
	  	current = (fromInd == ar.length - 1) ? 0 : fromInd + 1;
	  	scrollBanner(fromInd, current);
	}
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//
	function moveUp()
	{
	  	if (NS4)
	  	{
	    	fromEl.top -= increment;
	    	if (toEl.top - increment <= toElTarget)
			{
	      		toEl.top = toElTarget;
	      		clearInterval(intervalID);
	      		fromEl.visibility = "hide";
	      		timeoutID = setTimeout("nextMessage()", pause);
	    	}
			else
			{
	      		toEl.top -= increment;
	    	}
	  	}
	  	else
	  	{
	  		fromEl.pixelTop -= increment;
	    	if (toEl.pixelTop - increment <= toElTarget)
			{
		      	toEl.pixelTop = toElTarget;
		      	clearInterval(intervalID);
		      	fromEl.visibility = "hidden";
		      	timeoutID = setTimeout("nextMessage()", pause);
		    }
			else
			{
		      	toEl.pixelTop -= increment;
		    }
	  	}
	}
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//
	function scrollBanner(from, to)
	{
		if (NS4)
		{
	    	fromEl = eval("message" + from);
	    	toEl = eval("message" + to);
	    	toEl.top = fromEl.top + bannerHeight;
	    	toElTarget = fromEl.top;
	  	}
		else
		{
	    	fromEl = eval("message" + from + ".style");
	    	toEl = eval("message" + to + ".style");
	    	toEl.pixelTop = fromEl.pixelTop + bannerHeight;
	    	toElTarget = fromEl.pixelTop;
	  	}
	  	showMessage(to, true); // show the upcoming message
	  	intervalID = setInterval("moveUp()", interval);
	}
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//
	function makeIE()
	{
		// assign the necessary code to a variable
	  	var text = '<SPAN ID="banner" STYLE="position:absolute">';
	  	for (var i = ar.length - 1; i >= 0; i--)
	  	{
	  		text += '<SPAN ID="message' + i + '" STYLE="font-family:Arial;font-size:8pt;position:absolute;"></SPAN>';
	  	}
	  	text += '</SPAN>';
	
	  	// insert the code before the end of the document
	  	document.body.insertAdjacentHTML("BeforeEnd", text);
	
	  	// define the main element's properties
	  	with (banner.style)
	  	{
	  		width = bannerWidth;
	    	height = bannerHeight;
	    	clip = "rect(0 " + bannerWidth + " " + bannerHeight + " 0)";
	    	backgroundColor = "#FFFFFF";
			color = bannerColor;
	    	pixelLeft = bannerLeft;
	    	pixelTop = bannerTop;
	  	}
	
	  	// define the child elements' properties
	  	for (i = 0; i < ar.length; i++)
		{
	    	with (eval("message" + i + ".style"))
			{
	      		visibility = "hidden";
				face="Arial";
				size="8pt"
	      		pixelLeft = leftPadding;
	      		pixelTop = topPadding;
	      		width = bannerWidth; //- leftPadding;
	      		backgroundColor = "#FFFFFF";
				color = bannerColor;
	    	}
	  	}
	}
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//
	function makeNS()
	{
		// create the main element
	  	banner = new Layer(bannerWidth);
	
	  	// define the main element's properties
	  	with (banner)
	  	{
			clip.right = bannerWidth;
	    	clip.bottom = bannerHeight;
			document.fgColor = "#FFFFFF";
	    	document.bgColor = "#FFFFFF";
	    	left = bannerLeft;
	    	top = bannerTop;
	    	visibility = "show";
	  	}
	
	  	// define the child elements' properties
	  	for (var i = 0; i < ar.length; i++)
		{
	    	// create a child element
	    	eval("message" + i + " = " + "new Layer(bannerWidth - leftPadding, banner)");
	    	with(eval("message" + i))
			{
	      		visibility = "hide";
	      		left = leftPadding;
	      		top = topPadding;
				document.fgColor = "#FFFFFF";
	      		document.bgColor = "#FFFFFF";
	    	}
	  	}
	}
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//
	function fillBanner()
	{
		var whichEl;
		if (NS4) {
	    	for (var i = 0; i < ar.length; i++)
			{
	      		whichEl = eval("message" + i);
	      		whichEl.document.write(ar[i]);
	      		whichEl.document.close();
	    	}
	  	}
		else
		{
	    	for (var i = 0; i < ar.length; i++)
			{
	      		whichEl = eval("message" + i);
	      		whichEl.innerHTML = ar[i];
	    	}
	  	}
	}
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//
	function startBanner()
	{
		if (NS4)
	    	makeNS()
	  	else
	    	makeIE();
	  	fillBanner();
	  	showMessage(0, true);
	  	current = 0;
	  	timeoutID = setTimeout("nextMessage()", pause);
	}
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//