function checkForm(form) {
	// define variables used to test validity of email and selected nature 
	var emailPattern = /^[A-Za-z0-9]+([A-Za-z0-9_\.-]+)*@[A-Za-z0-9]+([A-Za-z0-9\.-]+)*\.([A-Za-z]){2,4}$/i;
	var sel = 0;
	
	//  find out if a nature has been selected or not
	for (var i = 1; document.getElementById('supporttype'+i); i++) {
		if (document.getElementById('supporttype'+i).checked) {sel = i; break;}
	}

	if (form.membername.value == "") {
		alert("You must enter your name.");
		form.membername.focus();
	}
	else if (form.emailAddress.value == "") {
		alert("You must enter your e-mail address.");
		form.emailAddress.focus();	
	}
    else if(form.emailAddress.value != form.cemailAddress.value) {
		alert("Your e-mail addresses do not match.");
		form.cemailAddress.focus();
	}
	else if(!emailPattern.test(eval('form.emailAddress.value'))) {
		alert("Your e-mail address is not valid.");
		eval('form.emailAddress.focus();');
	}
	else if (form.subject.value == "") {
		alert("You must enter a subject for this submission.");
		form.subject.focus();
	}
	else if (form.content.value == "") {
		if(form.name == "askexpertsform") {
			alert("You must enter your question for the experts.");
		}
		else {
			alert("You must enter the content of your submission.");
		}
		
		form.content.focus();
	}
	//  everything is valid now, so submit the form
	else {
		if(form.name == "askexpertsform") {
			document.askexpertsform.submit();
		}
		else {
			document.support_employee.submit();
		}
	}
}

function checkReplyForm(form) {
	if (form.content.value == "") {
		alert("You must enter the content of your reply.");
		form.content.focus();
	}
	//  everything is valid now, so submit the form
	else {
		document.support_reply.submit();
	}
}

function checkReplyExperts(form) {
	if(form.questionReworded.value == "") {
		alert("You must not leave the rephrased question blank.");
		form.questionReworded.focus();
	}
	else if (form.content.value == "") {
		alert("You must enter the content of your reply.");
		form.content.focus();
	}
	//  everything is valid now, so submit the form
	else {
		document.experts_reply.submit();
	}
}