var http_request = false;
   var span_target = '';
   function makePOSTRequest(target,url, parameters,show_loading) {
      http_request = false;
      span_target = target;

	var loading_html = '';
	if (typeof show_loading == 'undefined' ) {
                show_loading = 1;
		loading_html = '<table border=0 width=100% height=100% align=center valign=center><tr><td align=center><img src=/themes/indiefootage/images/ajax-loading-animation.gif></td></tr></table>';
        }
	else {
		loading_html = show_loading;
	}
	if(show_loading != 0) {	
		// set loading message
		document.getElementById(span_target).innerHTML = loading_html;
	}
      if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari,...
         http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
         if (http_request.overrideMimeType) {
         	// set type accordingly to anticipated content type
            //http_request.overrideMimeType('text/xml');
            http_request.overrideMimeType('text/html');
         }
      } else if (window.ActiveXObject) { // IE
         try {
            http_request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
         } catch (e) {
            try {
               http_request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
            } catch (e) {}
         }
      }
      if (!http_request) {
         alert('Cannot create XMLHTTP instance');
         return false;
      }
      
      http_request.onreadystatechange = alertContents;
      http_request.open('POST', url, true);
      http_request.setRequestHeader("Content-type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
      http_request.setRequestHeader("Content-length", parameters.length);
      http_request.setRequestHeader("Connection", "close");
      http_request.send(parameters);
   }
function alertContents() {
      if (http_request.readyState == 4) {
         if (http_request.status == 200) {
            //alert(http_request.responseText);
            result = http_request.responseText;
            document.getElementById(span_target).innerHTML = result;            
         } else {
            alert('There was a problem with the request.');
         }
      }
   }