function getObj(name) {
  if (document.getElementById) {
    this.obj = document.getElementById(name);
    this.style = document.getElementById(name).style;
  }
  else if (document.all) {
    this.obj = document.all[name];
    this.style = document.all[name].style;
  }
  else if (document.layers) {
    this.obj = document.layers[name];
    this.style = document.layers[name];
  }
}

function getSelectedRadio(buttonGroup) {
   // returns the array number of the selected radio button or -1 if no button is selected
   if (buttonGroup[0]) { // if the button group is an array (one button is not an array)
      for (var i=0; i<buttonGroup.length; i++) {
         if (buttonGroup[i].checked) {
            return buttonGroup[i].value;
         }
      }
   } else {
      if (buttonGroup.checked) { return 0; } // if the one button is checked, return zero
   }
   // if we get to this point, no radio button is selected      return -1;
}