function stripSpaces(str) {
	while (str.substring(0,1) == ' ')
		str = str.substring(1);
	return str;
}

function empty(str){
	if (str.length > 0)
		return false;
	else
		return true; 
}

function postalCheck (postalStr) {
	if (postalStr.length < 6 || postalStr.length > 7)
		return false;
	var strTmp = postalStr.toUpperCase();
	if (strTmp.indexOf("V") != 0 )
		return false;
	return true;
}

function emailCheck (emailStr) {
	var emailPat=/^(.+)@(.+)$/
	var specialChars="\\(\\)<>@,;:\\\\\\\"\\.\\[\\]"
	var validChars="\[^\\s" + specialChars + "\]"
	var quotedUser="(\"[^\"]*\")"
	var ipDomainPat=/^\[(\d{1,3})\.(\d{1,3})\.(\d{1,3})\.(\d{1,3})\]$/
	var atom=validChars + '+'
	var word="(" + atom + "|" + quotedUser + ")"
	var userPat=new RegExp("^" + word + "(\\." + word + ")*$")
	var domainPat=new RegExp("^" + atom + "(\\." + atom +")*$")
	var matchArray=emailStr.match(emailPat)

	if (matchArray==null){ return false }

	var user=matchArray[1]
	var domain=matchArray[2]

	if (user.match(userPat)==null){ return false }

	var IPArray=domain.match(ipDomainPat)
	if (IPArray!=null){
		for (var i=1;i<=4;i++)
			if (IPArray[i]>255) { return false }
    	return true
	}

	var domainArray=domain.match(domainPat)
	if (domainArray==null) { return false }

	var atomPat=new RegExp(atom,"g")
	var domArr=domain.match(atomPat)
	var len=domArr.length
	if (domArr[domArr.length-1].length<2 || 
    	domArr[domArr.length-1].length>3) { return false }

	if (len<2) { return false }

	return true;
}