function showusersonline(){
	var req = newXMLHttpRequest();
	//register the callback handler function
  	var callbackHandler = getReadyStateHandler(req, requesthandler);
  	req.onreadystatechange = callbackHandler;
  	req.open("POST", "http://www.dumme-exfreundin.com/droelf.kit/usersonline/ajaxreturn.php", true);
  	req.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
  	//get the value from the text input element and send it to server
	//alert(pid);
  	req.send("pid=fake");
}



function requesthandler(testXML) {
	var containerinhalt;
	containerinhalt="";
	for(var i=0; i< testXML.getElementsByTagName("usercounter").length; i++)
		{
			var usercount = testXML.getElementsByTagName("users")[i].firstChild.nodeValue;

		}
		
		var msg_display = document.getElementById("usersonline");

		
		new Effect.Appear('usersonline', { duration: 2.0 });
		msg_display.innerHTML = usercount;
	
}
//the following two functions are helper infrastructure to 
//craete a XMLHTTPRequest and register a listner callback function

function newXMLHttpRequest() {
	var xmlreq = false;
	if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
		xmlreq = new XMLHttpRequest();
	} else if (window.ActiveXObject) {
    		// Try ActiveX
		try { 
			xmlreq = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
		} catch (e1) { 
			// first method failed 
			try {
				xmlreq = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
			} catch (e2) {
				 // both methods failed 
			} 
		}
 	}
   	return xmlreq;
} 

function getReadyStateHandler(req, responseXmlHandler) {
	return function () {
	if (req.readyState == 4) {
		if (req.status == 200) {
        		responseXmlHandler(req.responseXML);
		} else {
			var hellomsg = document.getElementById("dops_partner");
			hellomsg.innerHTML = "ERROR: "+ req.status;
      		}
    	}
 	}
}