function validate() {

		var form = document.forms['contact_form'];

		var i;

		var errorMessage = '';

	

		if(form.fname.value == '') 

			errorMessage = errorMessage + 'Please enter your first name.\n' ;

		if(form.lname.value == '') 

			errorMessage = errorMessage + 'Please enter your last name.\n' ;



// check format of phone number !

		var count=0;

   	 	for (i = 0; i < form.phone.value.length; i++){   

        			var c = form.phone.value.charAt(i);

       			 if ((c < "0") || (c > "9")){

				if (c!="-"){ 

					count=0; // set to zero to account for the break, meaning a letter!

					{break}

				}

				count-=1; // minuses 1 from count to account for the dash!

			}

			count+=1;		

   		}

		if(count != 10) // phone number should have 10 numbers

			errorMessage = errorMessage + 'Please enter a valid phone number.\n' ;	



// check format of email !

		if(form.email.value == ''){ 

			errorMessage = errorMessage + 'Please enter a valid email address.\n' ;

		}else{

			apos=form.email.value.indexOf("@")

			dotpos=form.email.value.lastIndexOf(".")

				if (apos<1||dotpos-apos<2) 

					errorMessage = errorMessage + 'Please enter a valid email address.\n' ;

		}



// display alert or submit



		if(errorMessage != "") 

		{

			alert(errorMessage);

		} else {

			form.submit();

		}

		errorMessage = "";

	}