// A function for hiding (using display) an element
function hide( elem ) {
    // Find out what it's current display state is
    var curDisplay = getStyle( elem, 'display' );

    //  Remember its display state for later
    if ( curDisplay != 'none' )
        elem.$oldDisplay = curDisplay;

    // Set the display to none (hiding the element)
    elem.style.display = 'none';
}

// A function for showing (using display) an element
function show( elem ) {
    // Set the display property back to what it use to be, or use
    // 'block', if no previous display had been saved
    elem.style.display = elem.$oldDisplay || 'block';
}


// Set an opacity level for an element
// (where level is a number 0-100)
function setOpacity( elem, level ) {
    // If filters exist, then this is IE, so set the Alpha filter
    if ( elem.filter )
    	elem.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + level + ")"
        //elem.filters.alpha.opacity = level;

    // Otherwise use the W3C opacity property
    else
        elem.style.opacity = level / 100;
}


function fadeIn( elem ) {
    // Start the opacity at  0
    setOpacity( elem, 0 );

    // Show the element (but you can see it, since the opacity is 0)
    show( elem );

    // WeÕre going to do a 20 ÔframeÕ animation that takes
    // place over one second
    for ( var i = 0; i <= 100; i += 5 ) {
        // A closure to make sure that we have the right ÔiÕ
        (function(){
            var pos = i; 

            // Set the timeout to occur at the specified time in the future
            setTimeout(function(){

                // Set the new opacity of the element
                setOpacity( elem, pos );

            }, ( pos + 1 ) * 10 );
        })();
    }
}
function fadeOut( elem ) {
    // Start the opacity at  0
    setOpacity( elem, 100 );

    // Show the element (but you can see it, since the opacity is 0)
    show( elem );

    // WeÕre going to do a 20 ÔframeÕ animation that takes
    // place over one second
    for ( var i = 0; i >= 0; i -= 5 ) {
        // A closure to make sure that we have the right ÔiÕ
        (function(){
            var pos = i; 

            // Set the timeout to occur at the specified time in the future
            setTimeout(function(){

                // Set the new opacity of the element
                setOpacity( elem, pos );

            }, ( pos + 1 ) * 10 );
        })();
    }
}