function logout(url)
{
    // create the necessary form
    var form = document.createElement("form");
    form.method = "post";
    form.action = url;

    // add one of the necessary fields
    var plugin = document.createElement("input");
    plugin.type = "hidden";
    plugin.name = "plugin";
    plugin.value = "login";

    // add the last of all necessary fields
    var action = document.createElement("input");
    action.type = "hidden";
    action.name = "action";
    action.value = "process_logout_form";

    // add all of the fields to the form
    form.appendChild(plugin);
    form.appendChild(action);

    // add the form to the document's body, otherwise FF and IE won't understand us
    document.body.appendChild(form);

    // submit the form
    form.submit();
}

function expand(id)
{
    if(document.getElementById(id).style.display == 'block')
    {
        document.getElementById(id).style.display = 'none';
    }
    else
    {
        document.getElementById(id).style.display = 'block';
    }
}

function viewHelpItem(reference)
{
    var url = "?page=Help&ref=" + reference;
    window.open(url, "iScout", "status=no, location=no, menubar=no, scrollbars=yes, width=500, height=300, resizable=0");
}