function startsWith(hayStack, needle) {
	return hayStack.match("^" + needle);
}

function validateReEnteredDataAlert(field1, field2, msg) {
    if (!validateReEnteredData(field1, field2)) {
    	alert(msg);
    	return false;
    } else {
    	return true;
    }
}

function getListBoxValue(field) {
	if (field == null) return null;
        var selectedIndex = field.selectedIndex
        if(selectedIndex > 0) {
		return field.options[selectedIndex].value;
	}
	return null;
}

function getRadioButtonValue(field) {
	if (field == null) return null;
	var cnt = -1;
	for (var i=field.length-1; i > -1; i--) {
		if (field[i].checked) {
			return field[i].value;
		}
	}
	return null;
}

function getTextFieldValue(field) {
    if (field == null) return null;
    return field.value;
}


//looks for the element in the array beginning startIndex
function checkElementInArray(array, element, startIndex) {
    if(startIndex >= array.length) {
        return -1;
    }
    for(var i = startIndex; i < array.length; i++) {
        if(array[i] == element) {
            return i;
        }
    }
    return -1;
}

function validateRBRequired(form) {
    var isValid = true;
    var focusField = null;
    var i = 0;
    var fields = new Array();
    oRequired = new rbrequired();
    for (x in oRequired) {
        var field = form[oRequired[x][0]];
        if (!validateRadioButtonCondition(field)) {
            fields[i++] = oRequired[x][1];
            isValid = false;
        }
    }
    if (fields.length > 0) {
        alert(fields.join('\n'));
    }
    return isValid;
}