// JavaScript Document
// Copyright (c) 1996 Tomer Shiran. All rights reserved.
// Permission given to use this script provided that the copyright
// notice remains as is. Additional scripts and information are
// available at http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/9000/

// set speed of banner (pause in milliseconds between characters)
var speed = 100 // decrease value to increase speed (must be positive)

// set pause between completion of message and beginning of following message
var pause = 1000 // increase value to increase pause

// set initial values
var timerID = null
var bannerRunning = false

// create global array
var ar = new Array()

// assign the strings to the array's elements
ar[0] = "Welcome to Town of Stoneville!"
ar[1] = "Finest Small Town in Piedmont, North Carolina"
ar[2] = "Ravaged by Tornado, Stoneville Rebuilds"
ar[3] = "A Proud Past, A Bright Future"
ar[4] = "Visit with us again soon."

// set index of first message to be displayed first
var currentMessage = 0

// set index of last character to be displayed first
var offset = 0

// stop the banner if it is currently running
function stopBanner() {
  // if banner is currently running
  if (bannerRunning)
    // stop the banner
    clearTimeout(timerID)

  // timer is now stopped
  bannerRunning = false
}

// start the banner
function startBanner() {
  // make sure the banner is stopped
  stopBanner()

  // start the banner from the current position
  showBanner()
}

// type-in the current message
function showBanner() {
  // assign current message to variable
  var text = ar[currentMessage]

  // if current message has not finished being displayed
  if (offset < text.length) {
    // if last character of current message is a space
    if (text.charAt(offset) == " ")
      // skip the current character
      offset++

    // assign the up-to-date to-be-displayed substring
    // second argument of method accepts index of last character plus one
    var partialMessage = text.substring(0, offset + 1)

    // display partial message in status bar
    window.status = partialMessage

    // increment index of last character to be displayed
    offset++ // IE sometimes has trouble with "++offset"

    // recursive call after specified time
    timerID = setTimeout("showBanner()", speed)

    // banner is running
    bannerRunning = true
  } else {
    // reset offset
    offset = 0

    // increment subscript (index) of current message
    currentMessage++

    // if subscript of current message is out of range
    //if (currentMessage == ar.length)
    if (currentMessage == 5)
      // wrap around (start from beginning)
      currentMessage = 0

    // recursive call after specified time
    timerID = setTimeout("showBanner()", pause)

    // banner is running
    bannerRunning = true
  }
}
window.onload=startBanner;