//initiates the XMLHttpRequest object
//as found here: http://www.webpasties.com/xmlHttpRequest
function getHTTPObject() {
  var xmlhttp;
  /*@cc_on
  @if (@_jscript_version >= 5)
    try {
      xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
    } catch (e) {
      try {
        xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
      } catch (E) {
        xmlhttp = false;
      }
    }
  @else
  xmlhttp = false;
  @end @*/
  if (!xmlhttp && typeof XMLHttpRequest != 'undefined') {
    try {
      xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
    } catch (e) {
      xmlhttp = false;
    }
  }
  return xmlhttp;
}


// initiates the two objects for sending and receiving data
var httpData = getHTTPObject();