var http_request = false;

function makeRequest(url, returnFunc, postParams) {

	var requestMethod = (!postParams) ? 'GET' : 'POST';

	if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari,...
		http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
			if (http_request.overrideMimeType) http_request.overrideMimeType('application/x-javascript');
		} else if (window.ActiveXObject) { // IE
			try {
				http_request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
			} catch (e) {
				try {
					http_request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
				} catch (e) {}
		}
	}

	if (!http_request) {
		alert('Cannot create XMLHttp instance');
		return false;
	}

	// http_request.onreadystatechange = returnRequestData(http_request);
	http_request.open(requestMethod, url, false); // ASYNC = false!

	if (requestMethod == 'POST') {
		http_request.setRequestHeader("Content-type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
		http_request.setRequestHeader("Content-length", postParams.length);
		http_request.setRequestHeader("Connection", "close");
		http_request.send(postParams);
	} else {
		http_request.send(null);
	}
	return(http_request.responseText);
}


function returnRequestData(http_request) {
	if (http_request.readyState != 4) return;
	if (http_request.status != 200) return alert('ERROR: request server error.');
	// alert('GOT: '+ http_request.responseText);
}