var ticker;

function startTicker()
{
    // Define run time values
    theCurrentStory     = -1;
    theCurrentLength    = 0;
    
    // Locate base objects
    if (document.getElementById) {	
        theImageObject      = document.getElementById("imageAnchor");
        theTextObject       = document.getElementById("textAnchor");
                
        runTheTicker();   	
    } else {
        document.write("<style>.ticki{display:none;}.ticko{border:0px; padding:0px;}</style>");
        return true;
    }
}
        
// Ticker main run loop
function runTheTicker()
{
    if (theTickerStatus == 1) {
        // Go for the next story data block
        if(theCurrentLength == 0) {
            theCurrentStory++;
            theCurrentStory      = theCurrentStory % theItemCount;
            theStorySummary      = theSummaries[theCurrentStory].replace(/&quot;/g,'"');		
            theTargetLink        = theSiteLinks[theCurrentStory];
            theTextObject.href   = theTargetLink;
            thePrefix 	         = '<span style="font-weight:bold">' + theLeadString + "</span>";
        }

        // Stuff the current ticker text into the anchor
        theTextObject.innerHTML = thePrefix + 
        theStorySummary.substring(0,theCurrentLength) + whatWidget();

        // Modify the length for the substring and define the timer
        if(theCurrentLength != theStorySummary.length) {
    	    theCurrentLength++;
    	    var myTimeout = theCharacterTimeout;
        } else {
    	    theCurrentLength = 0;
    	    var myTimeout = theStoryTimeout;
        }

        // Call up the next cycle of the ticker
        ticker = setTimeout("runTheTicker()", myTimeout);
    }
}
        
// Widget generator
function whatWidget() {
    if(theCurrentLength == theStorySummary.length)
      return theWidgetNone;
    else if((theCurrentLength % 2) == 1)
      return theWidgetOne;
    else
      return theWidgetTwo;
}
        
// ticker anhalten
function stopTheTicker() {
    theTickerStatus = 0;
    
    clearTimeout(ticker);
    
    theImageObject.innerHTML =   '<a href="#" onclick="restartTheTicker()" title="startet den Ticker" accesskey="x" onfocus="restartTheTicker()" onkeypress="restartTheTicker()">' 
                               + '<img src="/static/img/demo_icons/tick_icon_trans.gif" class="play" alt="Ticker starten" /></a>';
    
    theTextObject.innerHTML  =  thePrefix + theStorySummary;
}
        
// ticker wieder anwerfen
function restartTheTicker() {
    theTickerStatus = 1;
    
    clearTimeout(ticker);
    
    theImageObject.innerHTML =   '<a href="#" onclick="stopTheTicker()" title="h&auml;lt den Ticker an" accesskey="x" onfocus="stopTheTicker()" onkeypress="stopTheTicker()">' 
                               + '<img src="/static/img/demo_icons/tick_icon_trans.gif" class="pause" alt="Ticker anhalten" /></a>';

    runTheTicker();
}