Protoload = {
// the script to wait this amount of msecs until it shows the loading element
timeUntilShow: 250,

// opacity of loading element
opacity: 0.5,

// Start waiting status - show loading element
startWaiting: function(element, className, timeUntilShow) {
	if (typeof element == 'string')
		element = document.getElementById(element);
	if (className == undefined)
		className = 'waiting';
	if (timeUntilShow == undefined)
		timeUntilShow = Protoload.timeUntilShow;
	
	element._waiting = true;
	if (!element._loading) {
		var e = document.createElement('div');
		(element.offsetParent || document.body).appendChild(element._loading = e);
		e.style.position = 'absolute';
		try {e.style.opacity = Protoload.opacity;} catch(e) {}
		try {e.style.MozOpacity = Protoload.opacity;} catch(e) {}
		try {e.style.filter = 'alpha(opacity='+Math.round(Protoload.opacity * 100)+')';} catch(e) {}
		try {e.style.KhtmlOpacity = Protoload.opacity;} catch(e) {}
		
		/*var zIndex = 0;
		if (window.UI)
			if (UI.zIndex)
				zIndex = ++UI.zIndex;
		if (!zIndex)
			zIndex = ++Protoload._zIndex;
		e.style.zIndex = zIndex;*/
	}
	element._loading.className = className;
	window.setTimeout((function() {
		if (this._waiting) {
			var left = this.offsetLeft, 
				top = this.offsetTop,
				width = this.offsetWidth,
				height = this.offsetHeight,
				l = this._loading;
				
			l.style.left = left+'px';
			l.style.top = top+'px';
			l.style.width = width+'px';
			l.style.height = height+'px';
			l.style.display = 'inline';
		}
	}).bind(element), timeUntilShow);
},

// Stop waiting status - hide loading element
stopWaiting: function(element) {
	if (element._waiting) {
		element._waiting = false;
		element._loading.parentNode.removeChild(element._loading);
		element._loading = null;
	}
}/*,

_zIndex: 1000000*/
};

if (Prototype) {
	Element.addMethods(Protoload);
	Object.extend(Element, Protoload);
}