//alert ("went in to validation");
var validate;

function validate(obj)
{
	//define objects to validate
	var allElements = obj.elements;
	var coCount = 0;
	var errors = "";

	for( i=0 ; i<allElements.length; i++)
	{

		//CHECK HEADING NOT EMPTY
		if (allElements[i].name == "sp_description")
		{
			var ocomments = allElements[i].value;
			if ( ocomments.length <= 0 )
			{
				errors += "-> Your Specials Description is a mandatory field, please enter your Specials Description\n";
			}	
		}
		
		//CHECK FIRSTNAME NOT EMPTY
		if (allElements[i].name == "firstname")
		{
			var ocomments = allElements[i].value;
			if ( ocomments.length <= 0 ) {errors += "-> Your First name is a mandatory field, please enter\n";}	
		}
		
		//CHECK LASTNAME NOT EMPTY
		if (allElements[i].name == "lastname")
		{
			var ocomments = allElements[i].value;
			if ( ocomments.length <= 0 ) {errors += "-> Your Last name is a mandatory field, please enter\n";}	
		}		
		
		//CHECK EMAIL ADDRESS NOT EMPTY AND VALID
		if (allElements[i].type == "text" && allElements[i].name == "email")
		{
			var oEmail = allElements[i].value;
			var chkDot = true;
			var result = false;
			var ndxAt = ndxDot =  0;
			var ndxAt = ndxDot =  0;

			if (oEmail.length <= 0 )
			{
				errors += "-> Your Email is a mandatory field, please enter email\n";
			}
			else //not empty start email address validation
			{
				ndxAt  = oEmail.indexOf("@");
				ndxDot = oEmail.indexOf(".");
				ndxDot2 = oEmail.lastIndexOf(".");
									
				var illegalChars= /[\(\)\<\>\,\;\:\\\/\"\[\]]/;
				
			        if (oEmail.match(illegalChars)) { 
			                errors += "Your email contains illegal characters\n";
			        }
				else if ( (ndxDot < 0) ) //check for a '.' sign
				{
					errors += "->Your email lacks '.'\n\tThe format is 'you@domain.com'";
				}
				else if ( (ndxAt < 0) ) //check for an '@' sign
				{
					errors += "->Your email lacks an '@'\n\tThe format is 'you@domain.com'";
				}
				else if (ndxDot2 - 3 <= ndxAt)
				{
					errors += "->You may be missing Your email's domain name\n\tThe format is 'you@domain.com'";
				}
			}	
		}
		
		//CHECK CONTACT DIAL CODE NUMBER NOT EMPTY
		if (allElements[i].type=="text" && allElements[i].name == "dialcode")
		{
			var oFullName = allElements[i].value;
			if ( oFullName.length <= 0 ){errors += "-> Dialing code is a mandatory field, please enter code\n";}			
		}
		
		//CHECK CONTACT NUMBER1 NOT EMPTY
		if (allElements[i].type=="text" && allElements[i].name == "contactnumber")
		{
			var oFullName = allElements[i].value;
			if ( oFullName.length <= 0 ){errors += "-> Contact number is a mandatory field, please enter number\n";}			
		}
		
		//CHECK MESSAGE NOT EMPTY
		if (allElements[i].type=="textarea" && allElements[i].name == "message")
		{
			var oFullName = allElements[i].value;
			if ( oFullName.length <= 0 ){errors += "-> Your Message is a mandatory field, please enter message\n";}			
		}	
	}
	
	if(errors)
	{
		alert("The following fields are mandatory:\n" + errors);
		errors = "";
		returnVal = false;
	}
	else
	{
		returnVal = true;
	}
	return returnVal; 
}