function createRequestObject() {
    var ro;
    var browser = navigator.appName;
    if(browser == "Microsoft Internet Explorer"){
        ro = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
    }else{
        ro = new XMLHttpRequest();
    }
    return ro;
}

var http = createRequestObject();

function expand_menu(cat)
{

	var url = "/get_menu_options.php";
	var data = "action=expand&cat=" + cat;

	http.open("POST", url, true);
	http.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded');
    http.send(data);
	http.onreadystatechange = handleResponse;

}

function hide_menu(cat)
{

	var url = "/get_menu_options.php";
	var data = "action=hide&cat=" + cat;

	http.open("POST", url, true);
	http.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded');
    http.send(data);
	http.onreadystatechange = handleResponse;

}


function handleResponse() {
	
    if(http.readyState == 4){
	
        var response = http.responseText;
		var layers_replace = new Array();
		
		    layers_replace = response.split('---*---');	
					
			for(i=0;i<layers_replace.length;i++) {
					var update = new Array();
					update = layers_replace[i].split('---!---');
					if(update[0] == 'alert')
					{
					alert(update[1]);
					} else {
					document.getElementById(update[0]).innerHTML = update[1];
					}
									
			}

    }
}