var timerID = null;
var timerInterval = (1000 * .02);
var scrollResolution = 1;
var newsTickerHandle = null;
var startMarker = 0;
var startMarkerReference = 0;
var finishMarker = 0;


function initializeNewsTicker() {
	newsTickerHandle = document.getElementById("newsTickerDiv");
	startMarker = document.getElementById("newsTickerContainerDiv").style.width.replace(/px/, "");
	startMarkerReference = startMarker;
	pruneTree();
	startNewsTicker();
}

function pruneTree() {
	var currentNode = newsTickerHandle.firstChild;
	var nextNode = null;
	var elementNode = 1;
	
	while (currentNode) {
		nextNode = currentNode.nextSibling;
		
		if (currentNode.nodeType == elementNode) {
			finishMarker -= currentNode.offsetWidth;
		} else {
			newsTickerHandle.removeChild(currentNode);
		}

		currentNode = nextNode;
	}
}

function startNewsTicker() {
	if (startMarker <= finishMarker) {
		startMarker = startMarkerReference;
	} else {
		startMarker -= scrollResolution;
	}
	
	newsTickerHandle.style.left = (startMarker + "px");
		
	if (timerID != null) {
		clearTimeout(timerID);
	}
		
	timerID = setTimeout("startNewsTicker()", timerInterval);
}

function stopNewsTicker() {
	clearTimeout(timerID);
}