// Control parameters
var theCharacterTimeout = 40;
var theStoryTimeout     = 3000;
var theWidgetOne        = "_";
var theWidgetTwo        = "-";
var theWidgetNone       = "";
var theItemCount = theSummaries.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) {	
        runTheTicker();   	
    }
    else {
        document.write("<style>.ticki{display:none;}.ticko{border:0px; padding:0px;}</style>");
        return true;
    }
}
// Ticker main run loop
function runTheTicker()
{
    var myTimeout;  
    // Go for the next story data block
    if(theCurrentLength == 0)
    {
        theCurrentStory++;
        theCurrentStory      = theCurrentStory % theItemCount;
        theStorySummary      = theSummaries[theCurrentStory];
        theTargetLink        = theSiteLinks[theCurrentStory];
    }
	
    var textTitle = theStorySummary.substring(0,theCurrentLength) + whatWidget();
	
    if (theTargetLink ) {
	
        if (NS6) {
            document.getElementById("theTicker").innerHTML  = '<a class="tiker" target="_blank" href="'+ theTargetLink +'" target="_top">'+textTitle+'</a>';
        }
        else {
            document.all.theTicker.innerHTML  = '<a class="tiker"  target="_blank" href="'+ theTargetLink +'" target="_top">'+textTitle+'</a>';
        }
    } 	
    else {
        if (NS6) {
            document.getElementById("theTicker").innerHTML = '<span>'+textTitle+'</span>';
        }
        else {
            document.all.theTicker.innerHTML  = '<span>'+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("runTheTicker()", myTimeout);
}

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

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

startTicker();