var over_bgColor = 'transparent';
var out_bgColor  = 'transparent';
var active_class = 'active';

function menu_mouseover(element)
  {
   if (element.className != active_class) element.style.backgroundColor = over_bgColor;
  };


function menu_mouseout(element)
  {
   if (element.className != active_class) element.style.backgroundColor = out_bgColor;
  };

function menu_setActive(menuItem)
  {
   // requires that the test given by parameter menuItem is contained
   // as contents of the FIRST ELEMENT NODE of a <p>-element of class 'manuItem'
   // assumption: no item is marked as active by default
   var possibleItems = document.getElementsByTagName('p');
   for (i in possibleItems)
     {
      if (possibleItems[i].className == 'menuItem') // match
        {
         var parent = possibleItems[i];
         var actualNode = parent.firstChild;
         while((actualNode!=null) && (actualNode.nodeType!=1)) // nodeType 1: element nodes 
           {
            actualNode = actualNode.nextSibling;
           };
         if (actualNode == null) // no element nodes
           {
            continue;
           };
         if (actualNode.firstChild.data.toLowerCase() == menuItem.toLowerCase())
           {
            parent.className ='menuItem active';
            break; // no need to serach further
           };
        };
     };
  };