// --- Global variable stuff here
       var theItemCount;
       var theCurrentStory;
       var theCurrentLength;
       var theStorySummary;
       var theTargetLink;
       var theTargetColor;
       var theCharacterTimeout; 
       var theStoryTimeout;
       var theBrowserVersion;
       var theWidgetOne;
       var theWidgetTwo;
       var theSpaceFiller;
       var theLeadString;
       var theStoryState;

// --- Check for old browser and force applet
       theBrowserVersion = parseInt(navigator.appVersion);
       if (theBrowserVersion < 4)
       {
          location.href = "tickerapplet.htm";
       }

// --- Only run for V4 browsers (check browser again here - some old browsers won't do this inline)
       function startTicker()
       {
          theBrowserVersion = parseInt(navigator.appVersion);
          if (theBrowserVersion < 4)
          {
             location.href = "tickerapplet.htm";
             return;
          }

// ------ Check and fixup incoming data block
          if(!document.body.children.incoming.children.properties)
          {
             document.all.incoming.innerHTML = "<DIV ID=\"properties\"><DIV ID=\"itemcount\">1</DIV></DIV><DIV ID=\"stories\"><DIV ID=\"1\"><DIV ID=\"Summary\">Mid-States Supply Company online.</DIV><DIV ID=\"SiteLink\">http://www.midcoonline.com</DIV><DIV ID=\"UrlLink\"></DIV></DIV></DIV>";
          }

// ------ Set up initial values
          theCharacterTimeout =   50;
          theStoryTimeout     = 5000;
          theWidgetOne        =  "<font color='red'>_</font>";
          theWidgetTwo        =  "<font color='red'>_</font>";

// ------ Set up initial values
          theStoryState       = 1;
          theItemCount        = document.body.children.incoming.children.properties.children.itemcount.innerText;
          theCurrentStory     = -1;
          theCurrentLength    = 0;
          theLeadString       = "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;";
          theSpaceFiller      = "<BR><BR><BR>";

// ------ Begin the ticker       
          runTheTicker();
       }

// --- The basic rotate function
       function runTheTicker()
       {
          if(theStoryState == 1)
          {
             setupNextStory();
          }
          if(theCurrentLength != theStorySummary.length)
          {
             drawStory();
          }
          else
          {
             closeOutStory();
          }
       }

// --- Index to next story
       function setupNextStory()
       {
          theStoryState = 0;
          theCurrentStory++;
          theCurrentStory = theCurrentStory % theItemCount;
          theStorySummary = document.body.children.incoming.children.stories.children[theCurrentStory].children.Summary.innerText;
          theTargetLink   = document.body.children.incoming.children.stories.children[theCurrentStory].children.SiteLink.innerText;
          if(theTargetLink == "")
          {
             theTargetLink = document.body.children.incoming.children.stories.children[theCurrentStory].children.UrlLink.innerText;
          }
          theCurrentLength = 0;
          document.all.hottext.href = theTargetLink;
       }

// --- Draw a teletype line
       function drawStory()
       {
          var myWidget;
          if((theCurrentLength % 2) == 1)
          {
             myWidget = theWidgetOne;
          }
          else
          {
             myWidget = theWidgetTwo;
          }
          document.all.hottext.innerHTML = theLeadString + theStorySummary.substring(0,theCurrentLength) + myWidget + theSpaceFiller;
          theCurrentLength++;
          setTimeout("runTheTicker()", theCharacterTimeout);
       }

// --- Finalise the item
       function closeOutStory()
       {
          document.all.hottext.innerHTML = theLeadString + theStorySummary + theSpaceFiller;
          theStoryState = 1;
          setTimeout("runTheTicker()", theStoryTimeout);
       }