// getRegions :: populates the region select box according to country selected
        function getRegions() {
                var country_id;
                var num_regions, num_regions_string;

                // get the selected manufacturer id value
                country_id = document.form.country_id.options[document.form.country_id.options.selectedIndex].value;

		// get the selected region id value
		current_region = document.form.region.options[document.form.region.options.selectedIndex].value;

                // set the length of the select to zero
                document.form.region.length = 0;

                // set the length of the model select
                my_string = "document.form.region.length= country_" + country_id + "_array.length";
                eval(my_string);

                // evaluate to get the number of models
                num_regions_string = "num_regions = country_" + country_id + "_array.length";
                eval(num_regions_string);

                // alert ('We got '+num_regions+' regions');

                // add all the regions to the select
                 for (count = 0; count < num_regions; count++) {
                        my_string = "document.form.region.options[count].text = country_" + country_id + "_array[count]";
                        eval(my_string);
                        my_string = "document.form.region.options[count].value = country_" + country_id + "_array[count]"
                        eval(my_string);
                 }

                // set the selectedIndex to zero
                document.form.region.selectedIndex = 0;

        }