/* Wrapper function for constructing a request object.
 Parameters:
	reqType: The HTTP request type, such as GET or POST.
	url: The URL of the server program.
	asynch: Whether to send the request asynchromously or not.*/
	
function iAffHttpRequest(reqType, url, asynch) {
	//Mozilla-based browsers
	if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
		request = new XMLHttpRequest();
	}
	else if (window.ActiveObject) {
		request = new window.ActiveObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
		if (!request) {
			request = new window.ActiveObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");				
		}
	}
	//the request could still be null if neither ActiveXObject
	//initialization succeeded
	if (request) {
		iAffInitReq(reqType, url, asynch);
	}
	else {
		alert("Your browser does not permit the use of all " + 
			  "of this application's features!");
	}
}
/* Initialize a request object that is already constructed */
function iAffInitReq(reqType, url, bool) {
	/* Specify the function that will handle the HTTP response */
	/*request.onreadystatechange=handleResponse;*/
	request.open(reqType, url, bool);
	request.send(null);
}