var http_request = false;
function makeRequest(url, parameters) {
      http_request = false;
      var contentHolder = document.getElementById('resultDiv');
      contentHolder.innerHTML = '<img height="150" src="/loading.gif" border="0" />';
      if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari,...
         http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
         if (http_request.overrideMimeType) {
         	// set type accordingly to anticipated content type
            //http_request.overrideMimeType('text/xml');
            http_request.overrideMimeType('text/html');
         }
      } else if (window.ActiveXObject) { // IE
         try {
            http_request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
         } catch (e) {
            try {
               http_request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
            } catch (e) {}
         }
      }
      if (!http_request) {
         alert('Cannot create XMLHTTP instance');
         return false;
      }
      var dbg = 1;
      parameters = "?"+parameters;
      http_request.onreadystatechange = alertContents;
      var tmps = url + parameters;
      http_request.open('POST', url + parameters, true);
	   
      http_request.send(null);
	     
      dbg = 2;
   }
   function alertContents() {
      if (http_request.readyState == 4) {
         if (http_request.status == 200) {
            //alert(http_request.responseText);
            result = http_request.responseText;
	    
	    var contentHolder = document.getElementById('resultDiv');
	    contentHolder.innerHTML = result;
         } else {
            alert('Error:\nUrl: '+http_request.url+"\nError code: "+http_request.status);
         }
      }
   }