function xmlhttpPost(strURL, employerList) {
    var xmlHttpReq = false;
    var self = this;
    // Mozilla/Safari
    if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
        self.xmlHttpReq = new XMLHttpRequest();
    }
    // IE
    else if (window.ActiveXObject) {
        self.xmlHttpReq = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
    }
    self.xmlHttpReq.open('POST', strURL, true);
    self.xmlHttpReq.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded');
    self.xmlHttpReq.onreadystatechange = function() {
        if (self.xmlHttpReq.readyState == 4) {
            updatepage(self.xmlHttpReq.responseText, employerList);
        }
    }
    self.xmlHttpReq.send(getquerystring());
}

function getquerystring() {
    var form     = document.forms[0];
    var word = form.ctl00$ContentPlaceHolderMain$EmployerName.value;
    qstr = 'EmployerName=' + escape(word);  // NOTE: no '?' before querystring
    //alert(qstr);
    return qstr;
}

function updatepage(str, employerList){
	employerList.options.length = 0;
	for (var i = 0; i < str.split("\n").length; i++) {
	  var line = str.split("\n")[i];
	  var employerId = line.split("|")[0];
	  var employerName = line.split("|")[1];
	  employerList.options[i] = new Option(employerName);
	  employerList.options[i].value = employerId;
	}
	if (employerList.options[0].value != "") employerList.options[0].selected = true;
}