var baseopacity = 0

    function showtext(thetext) {
        if (!document.getElementById)
            return
        textcontainerobj = document.getElementById("tabledescription")
        browserdetect = textcontainerobj.filters ? "ie" : typeof textcontainerobj.style.MozOpacity == "string" ? "mozilla" : ""
        instantset(baseopacity)
        document.getElementById("tabledescription").innerHTML = thetext
        highlighting = setInterval("gradualfade(textcontainerobj)", 50)
    }

    function hidetext() {
        cleartimer()
        instantset(baseopacity)
    }

    function instantset(degree) {
        if (browserdetect == "mozilla")
            textcontainerobj.style.MozOpacity = degree / 100
        else if (browserdetect == "ie")
            textcontainerobj.filters.alpha.opacity = degree
        else if (document.getElementById && baseopacity == 0)
            document.getElementById("tabledescription").innerHTML = ""
    }

    function cleartimer() {
        if (window.highlighting) clearInterval(highlighting)
    }

    function gradualfade(cur2) {
        if (browserdetect == "mozilla" && cur2.style.MozOpacity < 1)
            cur2.style.MozOpacity = Math.min(parseFloat(cur2.style.MozOpacity) + 0.2, 0.99)
        else if (browserdetect == "ie" && cur2.filters.alpha.opacity < 100)
            cur2.filters.alpha.opacity += 20
        else if (window.highlighting)
            clearInterval(highlighting)
    }