///
/// Ticker startup
///
function startTicker()
{
    // Define run time values
    theCurrentStory     = -1;
    theCurrentLength    = 0;
    // Locate base objects
    if (document.getElementById) {	
            theAnchorObject = document.getElementById("tickerAnchor");
            runTheTicker();   	
         }
    else {
            document.write("<style>#newsticker{display:none;}</style>");
            return true;
    }
}

///
/// Ticker main run loop
///
function runTheTicker()
{
    var myTimeout;  
    
    // Go for the next story data block
    if(theCurrentLength == 0) {
        theCurrentStory++;
        theCurrentStory      = theCurrentStory % theItemCount;
        theStorySummary      = theSummaries[theCurrentStory].replace(/&quot;/g,'"');		
        theTargetLink        = theSiteLinks[theCurrentStory];
        theAnchorObject.href = theTargetLink;
        thePrefix 	     = "<span class=\"tickls\">" + theLeadString + "</span>";
    }
    
    // Stuff the current ticker text into the anchor
    theAnchorObject.innerHTML = thePrefix + 
    theStorySummary.substring(0,theCurrentLength) + whatWidget();
    
    // Modify the length for the substring and define the timer
    if(theCurrentLength != theStorySummary.length) {
        theCurrentLength++;
        myTimeout = theCharacterTimeout;
    }
    else {
        theCurrentLength = 0;
        myTimeout = theStoryTimeout;
    }
    
    // Call up the next cycle of the ticker
    setTimeout("runTheTicker()", myTimeout);
}

///
/// Widget generator
///
function whatWidget()
{
    if(theCurrentLength == theStorySummary.length) {
        return theWidgetNone;
    }

    if((theCurrentLength % 2) == 1) {
        return theWidgetOne;
    }
    else {
        return theWidgetTwo;
    }
}

var theItemCount = 3;
var theSummaries = new Array();
var theSiteLinks = new Array();
var theCharacterTimeout = 50;
var theStoryTimeout = 5000;
var theWidgetOne = "_";
var theWidgetTwo = "-";
var theWidgetNone = "";
var theLeadString = "Latest News:&nbsp;";

theSummaries[0] = "Updated Swim Camp itinerary available for download...";
theSiteLinks[0] = "swim_camp.htm";
theSummaries[1] = "Congratulations to our two new swimmers of the month!...";
theSiteLinks[1] = "#";
theSummaries[2] = "Presentation Night Awards... the results!...";
theSiteLinks[2] = "news.htm";