function makeRequest () 
        {
            var request; 
  
       if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
            request = new XMLHttpRequest();
       } 
           else if (window.ActiveXObject) {
            request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
       }
             
           return request;
           }
  
  function appendTask()
        {        
            
            var request = makeRequest();
  
            if(request) {
                          
                    var str_1 = document.getElementById('newTask').value;
          
                    str_1 = encodeURIComponent(str_1);
          
                    var str = "task=" + str_1;
                  
                    document.forms[0].newTask.value = "";
                          
                    request.open("POST", <insert.php>, true); 
                    
                    request.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
  
                    request.onreadystatechange = function() 
                    
                 { 
                   if ((request.readyState == 4) && (request.status == 200)) { 
                            var doc = request.responseText;                        
                            processResults(doc);
              }
             
            } 
            } 
  
            request.send(str); 
                    
          
                    
  }
  
  function removeTask(id) 
         {
          
              var request = makeRequest();
  
          if(request) {
                  
                    var task_id = (id).substring(5);
                  
                request.open("GET", "delete.php?task_id=" + task_id, true); 
  
            request.onreadystatechange = function() 
                    
            { 
              if ((request.readyState == 4) && (request.status == 200)) { 
                var doc = request.responseText;
                        processResults(doc);
              }
             
            } 
            } 
  
            request.send(null); 
                    
  }
  
           
  function processResults(doc) {
               document.getElementById('newList').innerHTML = doc;
               updateList();
               Sortable.create('task_list', { tag: "li", onUpdate : updateList });
  }