function trim(str)
{
	s = str.replace(/^(\s)*/, '');
	s = s.replace(/(\s)*$/, '');
	return s;
}

/**
*
* Javascript string pad
* http://www.webtoolkit.info/
*
**/
// This functions returns the input string padded on the left, the right, or both sides 
// to the specified padding length.
// If the optional argument "pad" is not supplied, the input is padded with spaces,
// otherwise it is padded with characters from "pad" up to the "len" length. 
var STR_PAD_LEFT = 1;
var STR_PAD_RIGHT = 2;
var STR_PAD_BOTH = 3;

function pad(str, len, pad, dir) {

    if (typeof(len) == "undefined") { var len = 0; }
    if (typeof(pad) == "undefined") { var pad = ' '; }
    if (typeof(dir) == "undefined") { var dir = STR_PAD_RIGHT; }

    if (len + 1 >= str.length) {

        switch (dir){

            case STR_PAD_LEFT:
                str = Array(len + 1 - str.length).join(pad) + str;
            break;

            case STR_PAD_BOTH:
                var right = Math.ceil((padlen = len - str.length) / 2);
                var left = padlen - right;
                str = Array(left+1).join(pad) + str + Array(right+1).join(pad);
            break;

            default:
                str = str + Array(len + 1 - str.length).join(pad);
            break;

        } // switch

    }

    return str;
}