var characterTimeout = 50;
var itemTimeout     = 5000;
var widgetOne        = "";
var widgetTwo        = "";
var widgetNone       = "";
var leadString       = "Latest Articles: ";

function startTicker()
{
	// Define run time values
	currentItem     = -1;
	currentLength    = 0;
	// Locate base objects
	if (document.getElementById)
	{	
	    prefixElement = document.getElementById("lastestarticles-prefix");
		titleElement = document.getElementById("lastestarticles-title");
		runTheTicker();   	
	}
}

function runTheTicker()
{
	var timeout;  
	// Go for the next story data block
	if(currentLength == 0)
	{
		currentItem++;
		currentItem = currentItem % tickerItemCount;
		currentTitle = tickerTitles[currentItem].replace(/"/g,'"');		
		currentLink = tickerLinks[currentItem];
		prefixElement.href = currentLink;
		titleElement.href = currentLink;
	}

	prefixElement.innerHTML = leadString;
	titleElement.innerHTML = currentTitle.substring(0, currentLength) + whatWidget();
	// Modify the length for the substring and define the timer
	if(currentLength != currentTitle.length)
	{
		currentLength++;
		timeout = characterTimeout;
	}
	else
	{
		currentLength = 0;
		timeout = itemTimeout;
	}
	// Call up the next cycle of the ticker
	setTimeout("runTheTicker()", timeout);
}

function whatWidget()
{
	if(currentLength == currentTitle.length)
	{
		return widgetNone;
	}

	if((currentLength % 2) == 1)
	{
		return widgetOne;
	}
	else
	{
		return widgetTwo;
	}
}