function validate(controls, displayNames, validationTypes)
    {
       var errorMessage = "";
       var beginningMessagePart = "Please check the following: \n";
       var requiredMessagePart = " is required.";
       var formatMessagePart = " is not in the correct format.";
       var defaultValidation = true;

       if(validationTypes != null)
       {
          if(validationTypes.length > 0)
          {
          	defaultValidation = false;
          }
       }

       for(var i=0;i<controls.length;i++)
       {
         if(defaultValidation == true || validationTypes[i] == "required")
         {
         	if(trimAll(controls[i].value).length == 0)
         	{
        		errorMessage = errorMessage + "\n" + displayNames[i] + requiredMessagePart;
         	}
         }
         else if(validationTypes[i] == "format")
         {
         	 if(trimAll(controls[i].value).length > 0 && isNaN(controls[i].value) == true)
             {
             	errorMessage = errorMessage + "\n" + displayNames[i] + formatMessagePart;
             }
         }
       }

       if(errorMessage.length > 0)
       {
       	errorMessage = beginningMessagePart + errorMessage;
       }

       return errorMessage;

    }


    function dateValidate(theDate)
    {

    	var retVal = false;
          /*
        alert("here1!!");
        var dateParts = new Array();
		dateParts = theDate.split('/');

        alert("here1a");


        var month = dateParts[0];
        var day = dateParts[1];
        var year = dateParts[2];
        var monthInt = 0;
        var dayInt = 0;
        var yearInt = 0;
        var dteDate;

         alert("here2");

        if(IsNumeric(month) == false || IsNumeric(day) == false || IsNumeric(year) == false || month.length < 1 || month.length > 2 || day.length < 1 || day.length > 2 || year.length != 4)
        {
            return false;
        }

         alert("here3");

        if(month.length == 2 && month.charAt(0) == '0')
        {
        	month = month.substring(1,2);
            monthInt = parseInt(month);
            monthInt = monthInt - 1;
        }

        if(month.length == 2 && day.charAt(0) == '0')
        {
        	day = day.substring(1,2);
            dayInt = parseInt(day);
        }

        yearInt = parseInt(year);

        dteDate=new Date(yearInt,monthInt,dayInt);

        return ((dayInt==dteDate.getDate()) && (monthInt==dteDate.getMonth()) && (yearInt==dteDate.getFullYear()));
            */
            retVal = true;
            return retVal;
    }


    function trimAll(sString)
    {

       if(sString.length == 0)
       {
        	return sString;
       }

		while (sString.substring(0,1) == ' ')
		{
			sString = sString.substring(1, sString.length);
		}

		while (sString.substring(sString.length-1, sString.length) == ' ')
		{
			sString = sString.substring(0,sString.length-1);
		}

		return sString;

    }


    function IsNumeric(strString)
   //  check for valid numeric strings
   {
   var strValidChars = "0123456789.-";
   var strChar;
   var blnResult = true;

   if (strString.length == 0) return false;

   //  test strString consists of valid characters listed above
   for (i = 0; i < strString.length && blnResult == true; i++)
      {
      strChar = strString.charAt(i);
      if (strValidChars.indexOf(strChar) == -1)
         {
         blnResult = false;
         }
      }
   return blnResult;
   }