function getElementById( id ){
	if( document.getElementById ) {
		return document.getElementById( id )
	} else if( document.all ) {
		return document.all[id]
	} else {
		return document[id]
	}
}

function RecordRating(objectName, starIdPrefix, fullImage, emptyImage) {
	//create a RecordRating object:
	// Usage = var r = new RecordRating(...);

	this.starIdPrefix = starIdPrefix;
	this.fullImage = fullImage;
	this.emptyImage = emptyImage;
	this.objectName = objectName;
	this.maxStars = 5;
	this.starTimer = null;
	this.defaultCount = 0;

	// pre-fetch image
	(new Image()).src = fullImage;
	(new Image()).src = emptyImage;

	function showStars(starNum) {
		this.clearStarTimer();
		this._showStars(starNum);
	}
	function _showStars(starNum) {
		for (var i=1; i <= this.maxStars; i++)	{
			var element = getElementById(this.starIdPrefix + i)
			if (i <= starNum)
				element.src = this.fullImage;
			else
				element.src = this.emptyImage;
		}
	};

	function clearStars() {
		this.starTimer = setTimeout(this.objectName + ".resetStars()", 300);
	}

	function resetStars() {
		this.clearStarTimer();
		this._showStars(this.defaultCount);
	}

	function clearStarTimer() {
		if (this.starTimer) {
			clearTimeout(this.starTimer);
			this.starTimer = null;
		}
	}

	//Now make these functions my methods.
	this.showStars = showStars;
	this._showStars = _showStars;
	this.clearStars = clearStars;
	this.clearStarTimer = clearStarTimer;
	this.resetStars = resetStars;
}