function isFunction(a) {
    return typeof a == 'function';
}

function isNull(a) {
    return typeof a == 'object' && !a;
}

function isNumber(a) {
    return typeof a == 'number' && isFinite(a);
}

function isObject(a) {
    return (typeof a == 'object' && a) || isFunction(a);
}

function isDefined(a) {
    return undefined != a;
}

function isArray(testObject) {   
    return testObject && !(testObject.propertyIsEnumerable('length')) && 
        typeof testObject === 'object' && typeof testObject.length === 'number';
}

/* Implements python's test for true/false. */
function isSet(a) {
    if( ! isDefined(a) ) {
        return false;
    }

    if( isArray(a) && 0 == a.length ) {
        return false;
    }

    if( [] == a || {} == a ) {
        return false;
    }
        
    return (null != a) && ('' != a);
}

function trim(stringToTrim) {
	return stringToTrim.replace(/^\s+|\s+$/g,"");
}

function ltrim(stringToTrim) {
	return stringToTrim.replace(/^\s+/,"");
}

function rtrim(stringToTrim) {
	return stringToTrim.replace(/\s+$/,"");
}

String.prototype.trim = function() {
    return this.replace(/^\s+|\s+$/g,"");
}

String.prototype.ltrim = function() {
    return this.replace(/^\s+/g,"");
}

String.prototype.rtrim = function() {
    return this.replace(/\s+$/g,"");
}

String.prototype.capitalize = function(){ //v1.0
    return this.replace(/\w+/g, function(a){
        return a.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + a.substr(1).toLowerCase();
    });
};

String.prototype.uncapitalize = function(){ //v1.0
    return this.replace(/\w+/g, function(a){
        return a.charAt(0).toLowerCase() + a.substr(1).toLowerCase();
    });
};

/* Source: 
 * http://www.hunlock.com/blogs/Ten_Javascript_Tools_Everyone_Should_Have
 * Usage:
 *      function trim(str) {
 *          return str.replace(/^\s+|\s+$/g,'');
 *      }
 *
 *      var tmp = ['now', 'is', '   the   ', 'time    ', '    for ',  ' all'];
 *      var test = tmp.map(trim);  // returns now,is,the,time,for,all
 */
Array.prototype.map = function(f) {
    /* Without this check, IE says f is not a function even if I don't call 
     * map ! Weird, someone else may call it. */
    if( ! isFunction(f) ) {
        return;
    }

    var returnArray=[];
    for (i=0; i<this.length; i++) {
        returnArray.push(f(this[i]));
    }
    return returnArray;
}

/* Source: 
 * http://www.hunlock.com/blogs/Ten_Javascript_Tools_Everyone_Should_Have
 * Usage:
 * var tmp = [5,9,12,18,56,1,10,42,'blue',30, 7,97,53,33,30,35,27,30,'35',
 *  'Ball', 'bubble'];
 *
 * var thirty=tmp.find(30);             // Returns 9, 14, 17
 * var thirtyfive=tmp.find('35');       // Returns 18
 * var thirtyfive=tmp.find(35);         // Returns 15
 * var haveBlue=tmp.find('blue');       // Returns 8
 * var notFound=tmp.find('not there!'); // Returns false
 * var regexp1=tmp.find(/^b/);    // returns 8,20 (first letter starts with b)
 * var regexp1=tmp.find(/^b/i);   // returns 8,19,20 (same, ignore case)
 *
 * VICK NOTE: this prototype "find" shows up in this
 * kind of iteration: for(var i in AuthGuiDialogs)
 */
Array.prototype.find = function(searchStr) 
{
    var returnArray = -1;
    for (i=0; i<this.length; i++) {
        if (typeof(searchStr) == 'function') {
            if (searchStr.test(this[i])) {
                if (-1 == returnArray) { returnArray = [] }
                returnArray.push(i);
            }
        } else {
          if (this[i]===searchStr) {
              if (-1 == returnArray) { returnArray = [] }
              returnArray.push(i);
          }
        }
    }
    return returnArray;
}

/* http://hexmen.com/js/sprintf.js
 *
 * JavaScript printf/sprintf functions.
 *
 * This code is unrestricted: you are free to use it however you like.
 * 
 * The functions should work as expected, performing left or right alignment,
 * truncating strings, outputting numbers with a required precision etc.
 *
 * For complex cases, these functions follow the Perl implementations of
 * (s)printf, allowing arguments to be passed out-of-order, and to set the
 * precision or length of the output based on arguments instead of fixed
 * numbers.
 *
 * See http://perldoc.perl.org/functions/sprintf.html for more information.
 *
 * Implemented:
 * - zero and space-padding
 * - right and left-alignment,
 * - base X prefix (binary, octal and hex)
 * - positive number prefix
 * - (minimum) width
 * - precision / truncation / maximum width
 * - out of order arguments
 *
 * Not implemented (yet):
 * - vector flag
 * - size (bytes, words, long-words etc.)
 * 
 * Will not implement:
 * - %n or %p (no pass-by-reference in JavaScript)
 *
 * @version 2007.04.27
 * @author Ash Searle
 */
function sprintf() {
    function pad(str, len, chr, leftJustify) {
	var padding = (str.length >= len) ? '' : Array(1 + len - str.length >>> 0).join(chr);
	return leftJustify ? str + padding : padding + str;

    }

    function justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad) {
	var diff = minWidth - value.length;
	if (diff > 0) {
	    if (leftJustify || !zeroPad) {
		value = pad(value, minWidth, ' ', leftJustify);
	    } else {
		value = value.slice(0, prefix.length) + pad('', diff, '0', true) + value.slice(prefix.length);
	    }
	}
	return value;
    }

    function formatBaseX(value, base, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad) {
	// Note: casts negative numbers to positive ones
	var number = value >>> 0;
	prefix = prefix && number && {'2': '0b', '8': '0', '16': '0x'}[base] || '';
	value = prefix + pad(number.toString(base), precision || 0, '0', false);
	return justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad);
    }

    function formatString(value, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad) {
	if (precision != null) {
	    value = value.slice(0, precision);
	}
	return justify(value, '', leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad);
    }

    var a = arguments, i = 0, format = a[i++];
    return format.replace(sprintf.regex, function(substring, valueIndex, flags, minWidth, _, precision, type) {
	    if (substring == '%%') return '%';

	    // parse flags
	    var leftJustify = false, positivePrefix = '', zeroPad = false, prefixBaseX = false;
	    for (var j = 0; flags && j < flags.length; j++) switch (flags.charAt(j)) {
		case ' ': positivePrefix = ' '; break;
		case '+': positivePrefix = '+'; break;
		case '-': leftJustify = true; break;
		case '0': zeroPad = true; break;
		case '#': prefixBaseX = true; break;
	    }

	    // parameters may be null, undefined, empty-string or real valued
	    // we want to ignore null, undefined and empty-string values

	    if (!minWidth) {
		minWidth = 0;
	    } else if (minWidth == '*') {
		minWidth = +a[i++];
	    } else if (minWidth.charAt(0) == '*') {
		minWidth = +a[minWidth.slice(1, -1)];
	    } else {
		minWidth = +minWidth;
	    }

	    // Note: undocumented perl feature:
	    if (minWidth < 0) {
		minWidth = -minWidth;
		leftJustify = true;
	    }

	    if (!isFinite(minWidth)) {
		throw new Error('sprintf: (minimum-)width must be finite');
	    }

	    if (!precision) {
		precision = 'fFeE'.indexOf(type) > -1 ? 6 : (type == 'd') ? 0 : void(0);
	    } else if (precision == '*') {
		precision = +a[i++];
	    } else if (precision.charAt(0) == '*') {
		precision = +a[precision.slice(1, -1)];
	    } else {
		precision = +precision;
	    }

	    // grab value using valueIndex if required?
	    var value = valueIndex ? a[valueIndex.slice(0, -1)] : a[i++];

	    switch (type) {
		case 's': return formatString(String(value), leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
		case 'c': return formatString(String.fromCharCode(+value), leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
		case 'b': return formatBaseX(value, 2, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
		case 'o': return formatBaseX(value, 8, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
		case 'x': return formatBaseX(value, 16, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
		case 'X': return formatBaseX(value, 16, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad).toUpperCase();
		case 'u': return formatBaseX(value, 10, prefixBaseX, leftJustify, minWidth, precision, zeroPad);
		case 'i':
		case 'd': {
			      var number = parseInt(+value);
			      var prefix = number < 0 ? '-' : positivePrefix;
			      value = prefix + pad(String(Math.abs(number)), precision, '0', false);
			      return justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad);
			  }
		case 'e':
		case 'E':
		case 'f':
		case 'F':
		case 'g':
		case 'G':
		          {
			      var number = +value;
			      var prefix = number < 0 ? '-' : positivePrefix;
			      var method = ['toExponential', 'toFixed', 'toPrecision']['efg'.indexOf(type.toLowerCase())];
			      var textTransform = ['toString', 'toUpperCase']['eEfFgG'.indexOf(type) % 2];
			      value = prefix + Math.abs(number)[method](precision);
			      return justify(value, prefix, leftJustify, minWidth, zeroPad)[textTransform]();
			  }
		default: return substring;
	    }
		    });
}
sprintf.regex = /%%|%(\d+\$)?([-+#0 ]*)(\*\d+\$|\*|\d+)?(\.(\*\d+\$|\*|\d+))?([scboxXuidfegEG])/g;

/**
 * Trival printf implementation, probably only useful during page-load.
 * Note: you may as well use "document.write(sprintf(....))" directly
 */
function printf() {
    // delegate the work to sprintf in an IE5 friendly manner:
    var i = 0, a = arguments, args = Array(arguments.length);
    while (i < args.length) args[i] = 'a[' + (i++) + ']';
    document.write(eval('sprintf(' + args + ')'));
}