// create a hidden input to store the selected values.  Struts generates String[] by reading input with the same name
function createHiddenInput(containerName, name, value) {
    var input = document.createElement("input");
    input.setAttribute("type", "hidden");
    input.setAttribute("name", name);
    input.setAttribute("value", value);
    document.getElementById(containerName).appendChild(input);         
}

//removes all hidden inputs that stored the selected values.
function removeAllHiddenSelectedValues(containerName) {  
    document.getElementById(containerName).innerHTML = "";    
}

//function to return the number of items selected
function getNumNodesSelected(tree) {
    var selectedNodes = tree.getNodesByProperty('highlightState', 1);
    if (! YAHOO.lang.isNull(selectedNodes)) {
        return selectedNodes.length;
    } else {
        return 0;
    }   
}

//Restore the originally selected notes.  If no nodes are selected originally, deselect all nodes. 
function resetTreeView(tree, origSelectedNodes) {
    unselectAll(tree);
    if(!YAHOO.lang.isNull(origSelectedNodes) && origSelectedNodes.length > 0) {
        for (var i = 0; i < origSelectedNodes.length; i++) {
            origSelectedNodes[i].highlight(false);
        }
    } 
}

//unselect all selected node.
function unselectAll(tree) {
    var hiLit = tree.getNodesByProperty('highlightState', 1);
    if (!YAHOO.lang.isNull(hiLit)) {
        for (var i = 0; i < hiLit.length; i++) {
            hiLit[i].toggleHighlight();
        }       
    }
}