// set speed of banner (pause in milliseconds between addition of new character)
// decrease value to increase speed (must be positive)
var speed = 20

// set pause between completion of message and beginning of following message
// increase value to increase pause
var pause = 1500

// set initial values
var timerID = null
var bannerRunning = false

// create array
var ar = new Array()

// assign the strings to the array's elements
ar[0] = "Bienvenue  chez  Michel  Van  den  Berghe"
ar[1] = "Welkom  bij  Michel  Van  den  Berghe"
ar[2] = "Welcome  in  Michel  Van  den  Berghe"
//ar[3] = "Veel plezier met onze website !!"

// assign index of current message
var message = 0

// empty string initialization
var state = ""

// no value is currently being displayed
clearState()

// stop the banner if it is currently running
function stopBanner() {
	// if banner is currently running
	if (bannerRunning)
	// stop the banner
	clearTimeout(timerID)
	// timer is now stopped
	timerRunning = false
}

// start the banner
function startBanner() {
	// make sure the banner is stopped
	stopBanner()
	// start the banner from the current position
	showBanner()
}

// assign state a string of "0" characters of the length of the current message
function clearState() {
	// initialize to empty string
	state = ""
	// create string of same length containing 0 digits
	for (var i = 0; i < ar[message].length; ++i) {
		state += "0"
	}
}

// display the current message
function showBanner() {
	// if the current message is done
	if (getString()) {
		// increment message
		message++
		// if new message is out of range wrap around to first message
	if (ar.length <= message)
		message = 0
		// new message is first displayed as empty string
		clearState()
		// display next character after pause milliseconds
		timerID = setTimeout("showBanner()", pause)
	}
	else {
		// initialize to empty string
		var str = ""
		// built string to be displayed (only character selected thus far are displayed)
	for (var j = 0; j < state.length; ++j) {
		str += (state.charAt(j) == "1") ? ar[message].charAt(j) : "     "
	}
	// partial string is placed in status bar
	window.status = str
	// add another character after speed milliseconds
	timerID = setTimeout("showBanner()", speed)
	}
}

function getString() {
	// set variable to true (it will stay true unless proven otherwise)
	var full = true
	// set variable to false if a free space is found in string (a not-displayed char)
	for (var j = 0; j < state.length; ++j) {
		// if character at index j of current message has not been placed in displayed string
		if (state.charAt(j) == 0)
		full = false
	}
	// return true immediately if no space found (avoid infinitive loop later)
	if (full) return true
	// search for random until free space found (braoken up via break statement)
	while (1) {
		// a random number (between 0 and state.length - 1 == message.length - 1)
		var num = getRandom(ar[message].length)
		// if free space found break infinitive loop
	if (state.charAt(num) == "0")
		break
	}
	// replace the 0 character with 1 character at place found
	state = state.substring(0, num) + "1" + state.substring(num + 1, state.length)
	// return false because the string was not full (free space was found)
	return false
}

function getRandom(max) {
	// create instance of current date
	var now = new Date()
	// create a random number (good generator)
	var num = now.getTime() * now.getSeconds() * Math.random()
	// cut random number to value between 0 and max - 1, inclusive
	return num % max
}
startBanner()
// -->