var showdelay=250
  var keepvisible = 0;  
  var showtimerId = "undefined";
  var showobj = "undefined";
 
function TickHideMenu()
    {
	   if (keepvisible==0 && showobj != "undefined")
	     {
		   hideshowobj();
	       hidemenutimerId = "undefined";
		 }
	  hidemenutimerId = "undefined";
	}
	
function settimer()
{
	  hidemenutimerId = setTimeout("TickHideMenu()",500);
}
	  
function hideshowobj()
{
	if (showobj != "undefined")
	{
		showobj.style.visibility="hidden";
		showobj = "undefined";
	}
}
	  
function showitem(elmnt)
{
	hideshowobj();
	showobj = document.getElementById(elmnt);
	keepvisible = 1;
	showobj.style.visibility="visible"
}
function hideitem(elmnt)
{
	var el = document.getElementById(elmnt);
	if (showobj != el )
	{
		hideshowobj();
	}
    el.style.visibility="hidden";
	showobj = "undefined";
	keepvisible = 0;
}

function showpositionitem(container, elmnt)
{
	var leftposition = getPosition(container, "left");
	var el = document.getElementById(elmnt);
	  
	hideshowobj();  /* hide any menu currently showing, if any */
	el.style.left = leftposition + "px";
	showobj = el;
	el.style.visibility="visible";
	keepvisible = 1;
}

function timerhideitem(elmnt)
{
	  keepvisible = 0;
	  settimer();
}