function userChat(classType, title, message) {
    document.getElementById("message_box").className = classType;
    if(document.getElementById("message_box").style.display != "block") document.getElementById("message_box").style.display = "block";
    document.getElementById("message_title").innerHTML = title;
    document.getElementById("message_message").innerHTML = message;
    document.getElementById("message_notice").className = "";
    document.getElementById("message_notice").innerHTML = "";
}


function checkusername() {

var iChars = "! @#$%^&*()+=-[]\\\';,./{}|\":<>?";
for (var i = 0; i < document.getElementById('username').value.length; i++) {
if (iChars.indexOf(document.getElementById('username').value.charAt(i)) != -1) {
document.getElementById("error_message").innerHTML = 'ERROR: Your username contains invalid characters. Please use only numbers and letters.';
document.getElementById("error_message").style.display = "block";
return false;
}

else if (iChars.indexOf(document.getElementById('username').value.charAt(i)) != 1) {
document.getElementById("error_message").style.display = "none"; }
}
}


function ToUpper(ctrl)
    {  
    var t = ctrl.value;
    ctrl.value = t.toUpperCase();
    }

function ToLower(ctrl)
    {  
    var t = ctrl.value;
    ctrl.value = t.toLowerCase();
    }


function checkform ( form )
{

// ** START **
if (form.username.value == "") {
document.getElementById("error_message").innerHTML = 'ERROR: Please enter your username and submit the form again.';
document.getElementById("error_message").style.display = "block";
form.username.focus();
return false ;
}

if (form.password.value == "") {
document.getElementById("error_message").innerHTML = 'ERROR: Please enter your password and submit the form again.';
document.getElementById("error_message").style.display = "block";
form.password.focus();
return false ;
}

if (form.firstname.value == "") {
document.getElementById("error_message").innerHTML = 'ERROR: Please enter your first name and submit the form again.';
document.getElementById("error_message").style.display = "block";
form.firstname.focus();
return false ;
}


if (form.lastname.value == "") {
document.getElementById("error_message").innerHTML = 'ERROR: Please enter your last name and submit the form again.';
document.getElementById("error_message").style.display = "block";
form.lastname.focus();
return false ;
}

if (form.email.value == "") {
document.getElementById("error_message").innerHTML = 'ERROR: Please enter your email address and submit the form again.';
document.getElementById("error_message").style.display = "block";
form.email.focus();
return false ;
}

if (form.country.value == "") {
document.getElementById("error_message").innerHTML = 'ERROR: Please select your country and submit the form again.';
document.getElementById("error_message").style.display = "block";
form.email.focus();
return false ;
}

if (form.TOS.checked == false) {
document.getElementById("error_message").innerHTML = 'ERROR: Please accept the terms of service and submit the form again.';
document.getElementById("error_message").style.display = "block";
form.TOS.focus();
return false ;
}

// ** END **
return true ;
}