function textCounter(field, countfield, maxlimit) {
    if (field.value.length > maxlimit)
      field.value = field.value.substring(0, maxlimit);

    else
      countfield.value = maxlimit - field.value.length;
  }



  function make_current_date(element) {

    var now = new Date();
    element.value = padZero(now.getDate()) + "/" + padZero((now.getMonth()+1)) + "/" + now.getYear();
  }




  function emailCheck (emailStr,iindex) {
    var orig = emailStr;
    eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + emailStr + ".style.backgroundColor='#F5D7D6'");
    emailStr = eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + emailStr + ".value");
    if (emailStr.length > 0 ) {
    var checkTLD=1;
    var knownDomsPat=/^(com|net|org|edu|int|mil|gov|arpa|biz|aero|name|coop|info|pro|museum)$/;
    var emailPat=/^(.+)@(.+)$/;
    var specialChars="\\(\\)><@,;:\\\\\\\"\\.\\[\\]";
    var validChars="\[^\\s" + specialChars + "\]";
    var quotedUser="(\"[^\"]*\")";
    var ipDomainPat=/^\[(\d{1,3})\.(\d{1,3})\.(\d{1,3})\.(\d{1,3})\]$/;
    var atom=validChars + '+';
    var word="(" + atom + "|" + quotedUser + ")";
    var userPat=new RegExp("^" + word + "(\\." + word + ")*$");
    var domainPat=new RegExp("^" + atom + "(\\." + atom +")*$");
    var matchArray=emailStr.match(emailPat);

    if (matchArray==null) {
      alert("Email address seems incorrect (check @ and .'s)");
      return false;
    }

    var user=matchArray[1];
    var domain=matchArray[2];



    for (i=0; i<user.length; i++) {
      if (user.charCodeAt(i)>127) {
        alert("Ths username contains invalid characters.");
        return false;
      }
    }

    for (i=0; i<domain.length; i++) {
      if (domain.charCodeAt(i)>127) {
        alert("Ths domain name contains invalid characters.");
        return false;
      }
    }



    if (user.match(userPat)==null) {

      alert("The username doesn't seem to be valid.");
      return false;
    }


    var IPArray=domain.match(ipDomainPat);
    if (IPArray!=null) {

      // this is an IP address

      for (var i=1;i<=4;i++) {
        if (IPArray[i]>255) {
          alert("Destination IP address is invalid!");
          return false;
        }
      }

    return true;
    }


    var atomPat=new RegExp("^" + atom + "$");
    var domArr=domain.split(".");
    var len=domArr.length;

    for (i=0;i<len;i++) {
      if (domArr[i].search(atomPat)==-1) {
        alert("The domain name does not seem to be valid.");
        return false;
      }
    }


    if (checkTLD && domArr[domArr.length-1].length!=2 &&
      domArr[domArr.length-1].search(knownDomsPat)==-1) {
      alert("The address must end in a well-known domain or two letter " + "country.");
      return false;
    }


    if (len<2) {
      alert("This address is missing a hostname!");
      return false;
    }

    // If we've gotten this far, everything's valid!
    eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + orig + ".style.backgroundColor='Window'");
    return true;
  } else {
    eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + orig + ".style.backgroundColor='Window'");
    return true;
  }
  }


  function reqfields(farray, darray, form, iindex) {
    var themessage = "You need to complete the following fields: ";
    var arraytext ="";
    var arraytext1 ="";
    var myerr = "";
    var sformat="";
    var fFlag = 0;

    for (var i=0; i<farray.length; i++) {
      arraytext += "document." + iindex + "." + farray[i] + ".value";
      arraytext1 = "document." + iindex + "." + farray[i] + ".value";

    eval("document." + iindex + "." + farray[i] + ".style.backgroundColor='Window'");

      if (eval(arraytext1) == ""){
        myerr += "\n     -  " + darray[i];
        if (fFlag != 2){
          eval("document." + iindex + "." + farray[i] + ".focus()");
          fFlag = 2;
        }
        eval("document." + iindex + "." + farray[i] + ".style.backgroundColor='#F5D7D6'");

      }
    }

    if (myerr != "") {
      sformat ="Please fill the required fields in :\n" + myerr + "\n_____________________________" +"\nPlease re-enter and submit again!";
          alert(sformat);
          return false;
    }
    return true;
  }


  function reqfieldsplus(farray, darray, form, iindex, chkpass, fld1, fld2, chkemail,fld3) {
    var themessage = "You are required to complete the following fields: ";
    var arraytext ="";
    var arraytext1 ="";
    var myerr = "";
    var sformat="";
    var emailaddr = "";
    var chks1 = false;
    var chks2 = false;

    for (var i=0; i<farray.length; i++) {
      arraytext += "document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + farray[i] + ".value";
      arraytext1 = "document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + farray[i] + ".value";

      eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + farray[i] + ".style.backgroundColor='Window'");

      if (eval(arraytext1) == ""){
        myerr += "\n     -  " + darray[i];
        eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + farray[i] + ".style.backgroundColor='#F5D7D6'");
      }
    }

    if (myerr != "") {
      sformat ="Please fill the required fields in :\n" + myerr + "\n_____________________________" +"\nPlease re-enter and submit again!";
          alert(sformat);
          return false;
    }
    else {


    }

    if (chkpass == 1) {
      chks1 =  validatePwd(iindex, fld1, fld2);
    }

    if (chkemail == 1) {
      chks2 =  emailCheck (fld3,iindex);
    }

    validate = true;

    if (myerr != "") {
      validate = false;
    }

    if (chkpass == 1) {
      if (chks1 == false) {
        validate = false;
      }
    }

    if (chkemail == 1) {
      if (chks2 == false) {
        validate = false;
      }
    }

    return validate;
  }




  function validatePwd(iindex, fldname1, fldname2) {

    var invalid = " ";
    var minLength = 5;
    var pw1 = eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + fldname1 + ".value");
    var pw2 = eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + fldname2 + ".value");

    // check for a value in both fields.
    if (pw1 == '' || pw2 == '') {
      alert('Please enter your password twice.');

      return false;
    }

    // check for minimum length
    if (pw1.length < minLength) {
      alert('Your password must be at least ' + minLength + ' characters long. Try again.');
      eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + fldname1+".style.backgroundColor='#F5D7D6'");
      eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + fldname2+".style.backgroundColor='#F5D7D6'");
      return false;
    }

    // check for at least one number/letter.

      if (pw1.search(/[0-9]/) < 0 || (pw1.search(/[a-z]/) < 0  && pw1.search(/[A-Z]/) < 0 ) ){

      eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + fldname1+".style.backgroundColor='#F5D7D6'");
      eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + fldname2+".style.backgroundColor='#F5D7D6'");
        alert("The password must contain a mixture of letters and numbers.\n");
        return false;
        }

    // check for spaces
    if (pw1.indexOf(invalid) > -1) {
      alert("Sorry, spaces are not allowed.");
        eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + fldname1+".style.backgroundColor='#F5D7D6'");
        eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + fldname2+".style.backgroundColor='#F5D7D6'");
      return false;
    } else {
      if (pw1 != pw2) {
        alert ("You did not enter the same new password twice. Please re-enter your password.");
        eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + fldname1+".style.backgroundColor='#F5D7D6'");
        eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + fldname2+".style.backgroundColor='#F5D7D6'");
        return false;

      } else {
        eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + fldname1+".style.backgroundColor='Window'");
        eval("document.forms['" + iindex + "']." + fldname2+".style.backgroundColor='Window'");

        return true;

      }
    }
  }