var tickerItems = null;
var tickerText = "";
var isInTag = false;

function createTicker(){
	// put all list elements within #ticker-area into array
	var tickerLIs =  $$('#news-area li');
	tickerItems = new Array();
	tickerLIs.each(function(el) {
		tickerItems.push( el.innerHTML );
	});
	i = 0;
	if (tickerItems.size() != 0)
	{
		rotateTicker();
	}
}

function rotateTicker(){
	if( i == tickerItems.length ){
	  i = 0;
	}
	tickerText = tickerItems[i];
	c = 0;
	typetext();
	setTimeout( "rotateTicker()", 5000 );
	i++;
}

function typetext() {	
	var thisChar = tickerText.substr(c, 1);
	if( thisChar == '<' ){ isInTag = true; }
	if( thisChar == '>' ){ isInTag = false; }
	$('news-area').update("&nbsp;" + tickerText.substr(0, c++));
	if(c < tickerText.length+1)
		if( isInTag ){
			typetext(); 
		}else{
			setTimeout("typetext()", 28);
		}
	else {
		c = 1;
		tickerText = "";
	}	
}