var httpRequest;
var butt;
//called when login button is clicked
function validate(){
    //document.getElementById("butt");
    var frmFilter=document.getElementById("frmFilter");
    var param=frmFilter.param.value;
    //var collegeType=frmFilter.collegeType.value;
    var collegeType=frmFilter.collegeType.options[frmFilter.collegeType.selectedIndex].text;
    //alert(stateLocated);
    //var stateLocated=frmFilter.stateLocated.value;
    var stateLocated=frmFilter.stateLocated.options[frmFilter.stateLocated.selectedIndex].text;
    var url="colleges_of_education.php?butt=ajax&param="+encodeURIComponent(param)+"&collegeType="+encodeURIComponent(collegeType)+"&stateLocated="+encodeURIComponent(stateLocated);

    /*butt=document.getElementById("button");
    wanted to disable the login button once it is clicked
    butt.setAttribute("disabled", "disabled");
    var password=login.password.value;
    var username=login.username.value;*/

    if(window.ActiveXObject){
      httpRequest=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
//      alert("windows");
    }
    else if(window.XMLHttpRequest){
       httpRequest=new XMLHttpRequest();
//       alert("others");
    }
    httpRequest.open("GET", url, true);
    httpRequest.onreadystatechange=function(){processValidate();};
    httpRequest.send(null);
}

/*function to handle call back from the server
 *if the call
 */
function processValidate(){
   if(httpRequest.readyState==4){
     if(httpRequest.status==200){
       var respXML=httpRequest.responseText;
       var resDiv=document.getElementById("results");
       if(resDiv.childNodes[0]!=null){
           //if yes replace the contents of the div
           var nuResultDiv=document.createElement("div");
           nuResultDiv.setAttribute("id","results");
           nuResultDiv.innerHTML=respXML;
           resDiv.innerHTML=respXML;
        }
      }
      else{
        alert("Error loading page\n"+httpRequest.status+": "+httpRequest.statusText);
      }
   }
}