//APPEND NEWS ITEMS TO ARRAY
var aNews = new Array();
var nNewsIndex = 0;

function appendNews(p_sDate, p_sContent)
{
    var aItem = new Array(p_sDate, p_sContent);
    aNews.push(aItem);
}

//SHIFT NEWS ITEMS AND REPEAT
function showNews()
{
    //write news to paragraph
    document.getElementById("news-date").innerText = aNews[nNewsIndex][0]; // for IE
    document.getElementById("news-date").textContent = aNews[nNewsIndex][0]; // real browsers
    document.getElementById("news-content").innerText = aNews[nNewsIndex][1]; // for IE
    document.getElementById("news-content").textContent = aNews[nNewsIndex][1]; // real browsers

    //increment or reset counter
    if(nNewsIndex < aNews.length - 1)
    {
        nNewsIndex++;
    }
    else
    {
        nNewsIndex = 0;
    }
}

//FADE NEWS DIVISION
var nOpacStart = 0;
var nOpacEnd = 0;
var nOpacCurrent = 0;
var nStep = 5;
var nTime = 50;
var bVisible = false;
var oElement = null;

function fadeElement()
{
    oElement = document.getElementById("news-wrapper");
    if(oElement == null)
        return;

    if(bVisible)
    {
        nOpacStart = 100;
        nOpacEnd = 0;
        nOpacCurrent = 100;
        fadeOut();
    }
    else
    {
        showNews();
        nOpacStart = 0;
        nOpacEnd = 100;
        nOpacCurrent = 0;
        fadeIn();
    }
}

function fadeIn()
{
    if(oElement == null)
        return;
//alert("fade in " + nOpacCurrent);
    if(nOpacCurrent < nOpacEnd)
    {
        nOpacCurrent += nStep;
        oElement.style.opacity = (nOpacCurrent / 100);
        //oElement.style.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + nOpacCurrent + ")";
        setTimeout("fadeIn()", nTime);
    }
    else
    {
        bVisible = true;
        setTimeout("fadeElement()", 5000);
    }
}

function fadeOut()
{
    if(oElement == null)
        return;
//alert("fade out " + nOpacCurrent);
    if(nOpacCurrent > nOpacEnd)
    {
        nOpacCurrent -= nStep;
        oElement.style.opacity = (nOpacCurrent / 100);
        //oElement.style.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + nOpacCurrent + ")";
        setTimeout("fadeOut()", nTime);
    }
    else
    {
        bVisible = false;
        setTimeout("fadeElement()", 1000);
    }
}