function getXMLHTTP() { //fuction to return the xml http object
        var xmlhttp=false;    
        try{
            xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();
        }
        catch(e)    {        
            try{            
                xmlhttp= new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
            }
            catch(e){
                try{
                xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
                }
                catch(e1){
                    xmlhttp=false;
                }
            }
        }
        return xmlhttp;
    }
    function getState(countryId) {        
        var strURL="findprovincesale.php?country="+(countryId);
        var req = getXMLHTTP();
        if (req) {
            req.onreadystatechange = function() {
                if (req.readyState == 4) {
                    if (req.status == 200) {                        
                        document.getElementById('statediv').innerHTML=req.responseText;                        
                    } else {
                        alert("There was a problem while using XMLHTTP:\n" + req.statusText);
                    }
                }                
            }            
            req.open("GET", strURL, true);
            req.send(null);
        }        
    }
    function getCity(stateId) {        
        var strURL="findtownsale_multi.php?province="+(stateId);
        var req = getXMLHTTP();    
        if (req) {   
            req.onreadystatechange = function() {
                if (req.readyState == 4) {
                                      if (req.status == 200) {                        
                        document.getElementById('citydiv').innerHTML=req.responseText;                        
                    } else {
                        alert("There was a problem while using XMLHTTP:\n" + req.statusText);
                    }
                }                
            }            
            req.open("GET", strURL, true);
            req.send(null);
        }           
    }