function XPlatform() { }

// detect Internet Explorer
XPlatform.isIE = document.all && window.ActiveXObject &&
    (navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase().indexOf('msie') > -1);

XPlatform.httpGet = function httpGet(url) {
   var req;

   if (XPlatform.isIE) {
        req = new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.XMLHTTP');
    } else {
        req = new XMLHttpRequest();
    }

    req.open('GET', url, false);
    req.setRequestHeader('Cache-Control', 'no-cache');
    req.setRequestHeader('Expires', 'Fri, 30 Oct 1998 14:19:41 GMT');
    req.send(null);
    return req.responseText;
}


XPlatform.setClass = function setClass(node, val) {
    var attrName = (XPlatform.isIE ? 'className' : 'class');
    node.setAttribute(attrName, val);
}

XPlatform.setAttribute = function setAttribute(element, attrName, val) {
        if (XPlatform.isIE) {
                if (attrName == 'class') attrName = 'className';
                else if (attrName == 'for') attrName = 'htmlFor';
        }
        element.setAttribute(attrName, val);
}
XPlatform.getAttribute = function getAttribute(element, attrName) {
        if (XPlatform.isIE) {
                if (attrName == 'class') return element.className;
                else if (attrName == 'for') return element.htmlFor;
        }
        return element.getAttribute(attrName);
}

XPlatform.setStyle = function setStyle(element, styleAttribute, val) {
        if (element.style.setAttribute) {
                element.style.setAttribute(styleAttribute, val);
        } else {
                element.style[styleAttribute] = val;
        }
}

XPlatform.getStyle = function getStyle(element, styleAttribute) {
        if (element.style.getAttribute) {
                return element.style.getAttribute(styleAttribute);
        } else {
                return element.style[styleAttribute];
        }
}
XPlatform.setOpacity = function setOpacity(element, opacity) {
    if (element.filters) {
        try {
            element.filters.alpha.opacity = opacity * 100;
        } catch (e) { }
    } else if (element.style.MozOpacity !== (void 0)) {
        var val = parseFloat(opacity);
        if (val > .99) val = .99;
        element.style.MozOpacity = val;
    } else if (element.style.opacity !== (void 0))
        element.style.opacity=opacity;
}

XPlatform.getOpacity = function getOpacity(element) {
    return element.filters ? element.filters.alpha.opacity*100
        : element.style.MozOpacity ? element.style.MozOpacity
                : element.style.opacity ? element.style.opacity : 0.0;
}