{   return stripCharsInBag (s, whitespace)
}




// WORKAROUND FUNCTION FOR NAVIGATOR 2.0.2 COMPATIBILITY.
//
// The below function *should* be unnecessary.  In general,
// avoid using it.  Use the standard method indexOf instead.
//
// However, because of an apparent bug in indexOf on 
// Navigator 2.0.2, the below loop does not work as the
// body of stripInitialWhitespace:
//
// while ((i < s.length) && (whitespace.indexOf(s.charAt(i)) != -1))
//   i++;
//
// ... so we provide this workaround function charInString
// instead.
//
// charInString (CHARACTER c, STRING s)
//
// Returns true if single character c (actually a string)
// is contained within string s.

function charInString (c, s)
{   for (i = 0; i < s.length; i++)
    {   if (s.charAt(i) == c) return true;
    }
    return false
}



// Removes initial (leading) whitespace characters from s.
// Global variable whitespace (see above)
// defines which characters are considered whitespace.

function stripInitialWhitespace (s)

{   var i = 0;

    while ((i < s.length) && charInString (s.charAt(i), whitespace))
       i++;
    
    return s.substring (i, s.length);
}







// Returns true if character c is an English letter 
// (A .. Z, a..z).
//
// NOTE: Need i18n version to support European characters.
// This could be tricky due to different character
// sets and orderings for various languages and platforms.

function isLetter (c)
{   return ( ((c >= "a") && (c <= "z")) || ((c >= "A") && (c <= "Z")) )
}



// Returns true if character c is a digit 
// (0 .. 9).

function isDigit (c)
{   return ((c >= "0") && (c <= "9"))
}



// Returns true if character c is a letter or digit.

function isLetterOrDigit (c)
{   return (isLetter(c) || isDigit(c))
}



// isInteger (STRING s [, BOOLEAN emptyOK])
// 
// Returns true if all characters in string s are numbers.
//
// Accepts non-signed integers only. Does not accept floating 
// point, exponential notation, etc.
//
// We don't use parseInt because that would accept a string
// with trailing non-numeric characters.
//
// By default, returns defaultEmptyOK if s is empty.
// There is an optional second argument called emptyOK.
// emptyOK is used to override for a single function call
//      the default behavior which is specified globally by
//      defaultEmptyOK.
// If emptyOK is false (or any value other than true), 
//      the function will return false if s is empty.
// If emptyOK is true, the function will return true if s is empty.
//
// EXAMPLE FUNCTION CALL:     RESULT:
// isInteger ("5")            true 
// isInteger ("")             defaultEmptyOK
// isInteger ("-5")           false
// isInteger ("", true)       true
// isInteger ("", false)      false
// isInteger ("5", false)     true

function isInteger (s)

{   var i;

    if (isEmpty(s)) 
       if (isInteger.arguments.length == 1) return defaultEmptyOK;
       else return (isInteger.arguments[1] == true);

    // Search through string's characters one by one
    // until we find a non-numeric character.
    // When we do, return false; if we don't, return true.

    for (i = 0; i < s.length; i++)
    {   
        // Check that current character is number.
        var c = s.charAt(i);

        if (!isDigit(c)) return false;
    }

    // All characters are numbers.
    return true;
}







// isSignedInteger (STRING s [, BOOLEAN emptyOK])
// 
// Returns true if all characters are numbers; 
// first character is allowed to be + or - as well.
//
// Does not accept floating point, exponential notation, etc.
//
// We don't use parseInt because that would accept a string
// with trailing non-numeric characters.
//
// For explanation of optional argument emptyOK,
// see comments of function isInteger.
//
// EXAMPLE FUNCTION CALL:          RESULT:
// isSignedInteger ("5")           true 
// isSignedInteger ("")            defaultEmptyOK
// isSignedInteger ("-5")          true
// isSignedInteger ("+5")          true
// isSignedInteger ("", false)     false
// isSignedInteger ("", true)      true

function isSignedInteger (s)

{   if (isEmpty(s)) 
       if (isSignedInteger.arguments.length == 1) return defaultEmptyOK;
       else return (isSignedInteger.arguments[1] == true);

    else {
        var startPos = 0;
        var secondArg = defaultEmptyOK;

        if (isSignedInteger.arguments.length > 1)
            secondArg = isSignedInteger.arguments[1];

        // skip leading + or -
        if ( (s.charAt(0) == "-") || (s.charAt(0) == "+") )
           startPos = 1;    
        return (isInteger(s.substring(startPos, s.length), secondArg))
    }
}




// isPositiveInteger (STRING s [, BOOLEAN emptyOK])
// 
// Returns true if string s is an integer > 0.
//
// For explanation of optional argument emptyOK,
// see comments of function isInteger.

function isPositiveInteger (s)
{   var secondArg = defaultEmptyOK;

    if (isPositiveInteger.arguments.length > 1)
        secondArg = isPositiveInteger.arguments[1];

    // The next line is a bit byzantine.  What it means is:
    // a) s must be a signed integer, AND
    // b) one of the following must be true:
    //    i)  s is empty and we are supposed to return true for
    //        empty strings
    //    ii) this is a positive, not negative, number

    return (isSignedInteger(s, secondArg)
         && ( (isEmpty(s) && secondArg)  || (parseInt (s) > 0) ) );
}






// isNonnegativeInteger (STRING s [, BOOLEAN emptyOK])
// 
// Returns true if string s is an integer >= 0.
//
// For explanation of optional argument emptyOK,
// see comments of function isInteger.

function isNonnegativeInteger (s)
{   var secondArg = defaultEmptyOK;

    if (isNonnegativeInteger.arguments.length > 1)
        secondArg = isNonnegativeInteger.arguments[1];

    // The next line is a bit byzantine.  What it means is:
    // a) s must be a signed integer, AND
    // b) one of the following must be true:
    //    i)  s is empty and we are supposed to return true for
    //        empty strings
    //    ii) this is a number >= 0

    return (isSignedInteger(s, secondArg)
         && ( (isEmpty(s) && secondArg)  || (parseInt (s) >= 0) ) );
}






// isNegativeInteger (STRING s [, BOOLEAN emptyOK])
// 
// Returns true if string s is an integer < 0.
//
// For explanation of optional argument emptyOK,
// see comments of function isInteger.

function isNegativeInteger (s)
{   var secondArg = defaultEmptyOK;

    if (isNegativeInteger.arguments.length > 1)
        secondArg = isNegativeInteger.arguments[1];

    // The next line is a bit byzantine.  What it means is:
    // a) s must be a signed integer, AND
    // b) one of the following must be true:
    //    i)  s is empty and we are supposed to return true for
    //        empty strings
    //    ii) this is a negative, not positive, number

    return (isSignedInteger(s, secondArg)
         && ( (isEmpty(s) && secondArg)  || (parseInt (s) < 0) ) );
}






// isNonpositiveInteger (STRING s [, BOOLEAN emptyOK])
// 
// Returns true if string s is an integer <= 0.
//
// For explanation of optional argument emptyOK,
// see comments of function isInteger.

function isNonpositiveInteger (s)
{   var secondArg = defaultEmptyOK;

    if (isNonpositiveInteger.arguments.length > 1)
        secondArg = isNonpositiveInteger.arguments[1];

    // The next line is a bit byzantine.  What it means is:
    // a) s must be a signed integer, AND
    // b) one of the following must be true:
    //    i)  s is empty and we are supposed to return true for
    //        empty strings
    //    ii) this is a number <= 0

    return (isSignedInteger(s, secondArg)
         && ( (isEmpty(s) && secondArg)  || (parseInt (s) <= 0) ) );
}





// isFloat (STRING s [, BOOLEAN emptyOK])
// 
// True if string s is an unsigned floating point (real) number. 
//
// Also returns true for unsigned integers. If you wish
// to distinguish between integers and floating point numbers,
// first call isInteger, then call isFloat.
//
// Does not accept exponential notation.
//
// For explanation of optional argument emptyOK,
// see comments of function isInteger.

function isFloat (s)

{   var i;
    var seenDecimalPoint = false;

    //if (isEmpty(s)) return "1"; 
    if (s == decimalPointDelimiter) return "1";

    // Search through string's characters one by one
    // until we find a non-numeric character.
    // When we do, return false; if we don't, return true.

    for (i = 0; i < s.length; i++)
    {   
        // Check that current character is number.
        var c = s.charAt(i);

        if ((c == decimalPointDelimiter) && !seenDecimalPoint) seenDecimalPoint = true;
        else if (!isDigit(c)) return "1";
    }

    // All characters are numbers.
    return "0";
}







// isSignedFloat (STRING s [, BOOLEAN emptyOK])
// 
// True if string s is a signed or unsigned floating point 
// (real) number. First character is allowed to be + or -.
//
// Also returns true for unsigned integers. If you wish
// to distinguish between integers and floating point numbers,
// first call isSignedInteger, then call isSignedFloat.
//
// Does not accept exponential notation.
//
// For explanation of optional argument emptyOK,
// see comments of function isInteger.

function isSignedFloat (s)

{   if (isEmpty(s)) 
       if (isSignedFloat.arguments.length == 1) return defaultEmptyOK;
       else return (isSignedFloat.arguments[1] == true);

    else {
        var startPos = 0;
        var secondArg = defaultEmptyOK;

        if (isSignedFloat.arguments.length > 1)
            secondArg = isSignedFloat.arguments[1];

        // skip leading + or -
        if ( (s.charAt(0) == "-") || (s.charAt(0) == "+") )
           startPos = 1;    
        return (isFloat(s.substring(startPos, s.length), secondArg))
    }
}




// isAlphabetic (STRING s [, BOOLEAN emptyOK])
// 
// Returns true if string s is English letters 
// (A .. Z, a..z) only.
//
// For explanation of optional argument emptyOK,
// see comments of function isInteger.
//
// NOTE: Need i18n version to support European characters.
// This could be tricky due to different character
// sets and orderings for various languages and platforms.

function isAlphabetic (s)

{   var i;

    if (isEmpty(s)) 
       if (isAlphabetic.arguments.length == 1) return defaultEmptyOK;
       else return (isAlphabetic.arguments[1] == true);

    // Search through string's characters one by one
    // until we find a non-alphabetic character.
    // When we do, return false; if we don't, return true.

    for (i = 0; i < s.length; i++)
    {   
        // Check that current character is letter.
        var c = s.charAt(i);

        if (!isLetter(c))
        return false;
    }

    // All characters are letters.
    return true;
}




// isAlphanumeric (STRING s [, BOOLEAN emptyOK])
// 
// Returns true if string s is English letters 
// (A .. Z, a..z) and numbers only.
//
// For explanation of optional argument emptyOK,
// see comments of function isInteger.
//
// NOTE: Need i18n version to support European characters.
// This could be tricky due to different character
// sets and orderings for various languages and platforms.

function isAlphanumeric (s)

{   var i;

    if (isEmpty(s)) 
       if (isAlphanumeric.arguments.length == 1) return defaultEmptyOK;
       else return (isAlphanumeric.arguments[1] == true);

    // Search through string's characters one by one
    // until we find a non-alphanumeric character.
    // When we do, return false; if we don't, return true.

    for (i = 0; i < s.length; i++)
    {   
        // Check that current character is number or letter.