function validateForm(theForm) {
		var errors="";
		var setFocus=0;
		var started=false;
		var startAt;
		var firstErrorNode;
		var validationType='';
		var frmInputs = theForm.getElementsByTagName("input");
		
		
		for (f=0; f < frmInputs.length; f++) {
		 theField=frmInputs[f];
		 validationType=getValidationType(theField);
		
			if(theField.style.display==""){
				//added validation for checkboxes (2nd part of the condition)
				if(getValidationIsRequired(theField) && theField.value == "" || getValidationIsRequired(theField) && theField.type =="checkbox" && !theField.checked)
				
					{	
						if (!started) {
						started=true;
						startAt=f;
						firstErrorNode="input";
						}
						
						errors += getValidationMessage(theField,' is required.');
						 			
					}
				else if(validationType != ''){
						
					if(validationType=='EMAIL' && theField.value != '' && !isEmail(theField.value))
					{	
						if (!started) {
						started=true;
						startAt=f;
						firstErrorNode="input";
						}
						
						errors += getValidationMessage(theField,' must be a valid email address.');
								
					}
	
					else if(validationType=='NUMERIC' && isNaN(theField.value))
					{	
						if(!isNaN(theField.value.replace(/\$|\,|\%/g,'')))
						{
							theField.value=theField.value.replace(/\$|\,|\%/g,'');
	
						} else {
							if (!started) {
							started=true;
							startAt=f;
							firstErrorNode="input";
							}
						
							 errors += getValidationMessage(theField,' must be numeric.');
						}					
					}
					
					else if(validationType=='REGEX' && theField.value !='' && hasValidationRegex(theField))
					{	
						var re = new RegExp(getValidationRegex(theField));
						if(!theField.value.match(re))
						{
							if (!started) {
							started=true;
							startAt=f;
							firstErrorNode="input";
							}
						
							 errors += getValidationMessage(theField,' is not valid.');
						}					
					}
					else if(validationType=='MATCH' 
							&& hasValidationMatchField(theField) && theField.value != theForm[getValidationMatchField(theField)].value)
					{	
						if (!started) {
						started=true;
						startAt=f;
						firstErrorNode="input";
						}
						
						errors += getValidationMessage(theField, ' must match' + getValidationMatchField(theField) + '.' );
									
					}
					else if(validationType=='DATE' && theField.value != '' && !isDate(theField.value))
					{
						if (!started) {
						started=true;
						startAt=f;
						firstErrorNode="input";
						}
						
						errors += getValidationMessage(theField, ' must be a valid date [MM/DD/YYYY].' );
						 
					}
				}
					
			}
		}
		var frmTextareas = theForm.getElementsByTagName("textarea");	
		for (f=0; f < frmTextareas.length; f++) {
		
			
				theField=frmTextareas[f];
				validationType=getValidationType(theField);
				
				
				
				
				
				if(theField.style.display=="" && getValidationIsRequired(theField) && theField.value == "" )
				{	
				
				
				
				/*alert(getValidationIsRequired(theField));*/
					if (!started) {
					started=true;
					startAt=f;
					firstErrorNode="textarea";
					}
					
					errors += getValidationMessage(theField, ' is required.' );		
				}	
				else if(validationType != ''){
					if(validationType=='REGEX' && theField.value !='' && hasValidationRegex(theField))
					{	
						var re = new RegExp(getValidationRegex(theField));
						if(!theField.value.match(re))
						{
							if (!started) {
							started=true;
							startAt=f;
							firstErrorNode="input";
							}
						
							errors += getValidationMessage(theField, ' is not valid.' );
						}					
					}
				}
		}
		
		var frmSelects = theForm.getElementsByTagName("select");	
		for (f=0; f < frmSelects.length; f++) {
				theField=frmSelects[f];
				validationType=getValidationType(theField);
				if(theField.style.display=="" && getValidationIsRequired(theField) && theField.value == "" )
				{	
					if (!started) {
					started=true;
					startAt=f;
					firstErrorNode="select";
					}
					
					errors += getValidationMessage(theField, ' is required.' );	

				}	
		}
	
		if(errors != ""){	
		
			alert(errors);
			if(firstErrorNode=="input"){
				frmInputs[startAt].focus();
			}
			else if (firstErrorNode=="textarea"){
				frmTextareas[startAt].focus();
			}
			else if (firstErrorNode=="select"){
				frmSelects[startAt].focus();
			}
			return false;
		}
		else
		{
			return true;
		}

}