try {
  function getXML (ajax, span_name) {
    var args = '';
    for (var i=2; i < arguments.length; i += 2) {
      if (args != '') {	
	args += '&';
      }
//      alert(arguments[i]);
//      alert(arguments[i+1]);
      args += arguments[i] + '=' + arguments[i+1];
    }
    ajax.send(args != '' ? args : null);
  }
  
  function populateDropdown (name, tagname, form_name, span_name, guide_class, classname, domain, path, xml) {
   try {
    var instances = xml.getElementsByTagName(tagname);
    if (instances.length) {
      var html = '<option value = "-1">select...</option>\n';
      for (var i = 0; i < instances.length; i++) {
        html += '<option value="'+instances[i].getAttribute('value')+'" >'+instances[i].firstChild.data+'</option>';
      }
      if (0) {
        url = domain + "'+this.options[this.options.selectedIndex].title";
      }
      else {
        url = domain + path + '?o=' + "'+this.options[this.options.selectedIndex].value";
      }
      var onchange_value = '';
      onchange_value="window.location.href='" + url + ';'; 
    try {
      document.getElementById(form_name + '_' + span_name + '_span').innerHTML = '<select class="formdropdown" name="' + name + '" onchange="' + onchange_value + '">'+html+'</select>';
    } catch (error) {
    }
  } else { 
    document.getElementById(form_name + '_' + span_name + '_span').innerHTML = '';
  }
 } catch (error) {
//  alert(error);
 }	
}
  
} catch (error) {
}