var http_request = false;

function makeRequest(url, returnfunc) {
  http_request = false;

  if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari,...
    http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
    if (http_request.overrideMimeType) {
      http_request.overrideMimeType('text/text');
      // See note below about this line
    }
  } else { // IE!
    http_request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
    if (http_request.overrideMimeType) {
      http_request.overrideMimeType('text/text');
      // See note below about this line
    }
  }
  if (!http_request) {
    alert('Giving up :( Cannot create an XMLHTTP instance');
    return false;
  }
  if (returnfunc) {
    http_request.onreadystatechange = returnfunc; //alertContents;
  }
  http_request.open('GET', url, true);
  try {
    http_request.send(null);
  } catch (e) {
    alert('Cannot save winpos.');
    return false;
  }
  return true;
}

function alertContents() {
  if (http_request.readyState == 4) {
    if (http_request.status == 200 || http_request.status == 0) {
	  document.getElementById('contents').innerHTML=http_request.responseText;
      //alert(http_request.responseText);
    } else {
      alert('There was a problem with the request. ' + http_request.status);
    }
  }
}