// Control parameters
var theCharacterTimeout = 50;
var theStoryTimeout     = 5000;
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 href="'+ theTargetLink +'" target="_top" class="ticker">'+textTitle+'</a>';
		}
		else {
			document.all.theTicker.innerHTML  = '<a href="'+ theTargetLink +'" target="_top" class="ticker">'+textTitle+'</a>';
		}
	}
	else {
		if (NS6) {
			document.getElementById("theTicker").innerHTML = '<span class="tickertext">'+textTitle+'</span>';
		}
		else {
			document.all.theTicker.innerHTML  = '<span class="tickertext">'+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();