// Control parameters
var theCharacterTimeout = 50;
var theStoryTimeout     = 5000;
var theWidgetOne        = "_";
var theWidgetTwo        = "-";
var theWidgetNone       = "";
var theItemCount = newsTitles.length;
var NS6=(document.getElementById && !document.all) ? true : false;
	
// Ticker startup
function startTicker()
{

	// Define run time values
	theCurrentStory     = -1;
	theCurrentLength    = 0;
	// Locate base objects
	if (document.getElementById)
	{
        runNewsMarquee();   	
	}
	else
	{
            document.write("<style>.ticki{display:none;}.ticko{border:0px; padding:0px;}</style>");
            return true;
	}
}

// Ticker main run loop
function runNewsMarquee()
{
	var myTimeout;  
	// Go for the next story data block
	if(theCurrentLength == 0)
	{
		theCurrentStory++;
		theCurrentStory      = theCurrentStory % theItemCount;
		theStorySummary      = newsTitles[theCurrentStory];
		theTargetLink        = newsLinks[theCurrentStory];
	}
	
	var textTitle = theStorySummary.substring(0,theCurrentLength) + whatWidget();
	
	if (theTargetLink )
	{
	
		if (NS6)
		{
            document.getElementById("newsMarquee").innerHTML  = '<a href="'+theTargetLink+'" target="_top" class="">'+textTitle+'</a>';
        }
		else
		{
            document.all.newsMarquee.innerHTML  = '<a href="'+theTargetLink+'" target="_top" class="">'+textTitle+'</a>';
        }
    }
	else
	{
		if (NS6)
		{
            document.getElementById("newsMarquee").innerHTML = '<span class="">'+textTitle+'</span>';
        }
		else
		{
            document.all.newsMarquee.innerHTML  = '<span class="">'+textTitle+'</span>';
        }
	}
	
	// Modify the length for the substring and define the timer
	if(theCurrentLength != theStorySummary.length)
	{
		theCurrentLength++;
		myTimeout = theCharacterTimeout;
	}
	else
	{
		theCurrentLength = 0;
		myTimeout = theStoryTimeout;
	}
	// Call up the next cycle of the ticker
	setTimeout("runNewsMarquee()", myTimeout);
}

// Widget generator
function whatWidget()
{
	if(theCurrentLength == theStorySummary.length)
	{
		return theWidgetNone;
	}

	if((theCurrentLength % 2) == 1)
	{
		return theWidgetOne;
	}
	else
	{
		return theWidgetTwo;
	}
}

startTicker();