function validate() {
    if(document.postage.fname.value.length < 1) {
		alert("fill in your first name please");
		return false;
	}
	if(document.postage.lname.value.length < 1) {
		alert("fill in your last name please");
		return false;
	}
	if(document.postage.professionID.value=='null') {
		alert("select a profession please");
		return false;
	}
	if(document.postage.referrer.value=='null') {
		alert("Please let us know how you heard about us");
		return false;
	}
	if(document.postage.street.value.length < 1) {
		alert("fill in your street address please");
		return false;
	}
	if(document.postage.city.value.length < 1) {
		alert("fill in your city please");
		return false;
	}
	if(document.postage.state.value.length < 1) {
		alert("fill in your state please");
		return false;
	}
	if(document.postage.zip.value.length < 1) {
		alert("fill in your Zip Code please");
		return false;
	}else {
		if(!validateZip(document.postage.zip.value)) {
			return false;
		}
	}
	if(document.postage.phone.value.length < 1) {
		alert("fill in your phone number please");
		return false;
	}
	if(document.postage.email.value.length < 1) {
			alert("fill in your email please");
			return false;
	} else {
			if (!emailCheck(document.postage.email.value)) {
				return false;
			}
	}
	if(document.postage.username.value.length < 1) {
		alert("fill in a username please");
		return false;
	}
	if(document.postage.password.value.length < 1) {
		alert("fill in your password please");
		return false;
	}
	if(document.postage.username.value.length > 10){
		alert("Username may contain only 10 characters");
		return false;
	}
	if(document.postage.username.value == document.postage.password.value) {
		alert("username and password cannot be same");
		return false;
	}
	if(document.postage.password.value.length > 10){
		alert("Password may contain only 10 characters");
		return false;
	}
	if(document.postage.confirmpassword.value.length < 1) {
		alert("fill in your confirm password please");
		return false;
	}
	if(document.postage.password.value != document.postage.confirmpassword.value) {
		alert("password and confirm password do not match");
		return false;
	}
	// everything is valid if we make it this far
    return true ;
}
function validateZip(field,bypassUpdate){
	if (isNaN(field)) {
		alert("Please enter the zipcode as a 5 digit number");
		return false;
	} else {
		if (field.length!=5){
			alert("Please enter a 5 digit number for the Zipcode");
			return false;
		} else{
			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) {
  /* Too many/few @'s or something; basically, this address doesn't
     even fit the general mould of a valid e-mail address. */
	alert("Email address is invalid")
	return false
}
var user=matchArray[1]
var domain=matchArray[2]
// See if "user" is valid
if (user.match(userPat)==null) {
    // user is not valid
    alert("Email address is invalid")
    return false
}
/* if the e-mail address is at an IP address (as opposed to a symbolic
   host name) make sure the IP address is valid. */
var IPArray=domain.match(ipDomainPat)
if (IPArray!=null) {
    // this is an IP address
	  for (var i=1;i<=4;i++) {
	    if (IPArray[i]>255) {
	        alert("Email address is invalid")
		return false
	    }
    }
    return true
}
// Domain is symbolic name
var domainArray=domain.match(domainPat)
if (domainArray==null) {
	alert("Email address is invalid")
    return false
}
/* domain name seems valid, but now make sure that it ends in a
   three-letter word (like com, edu, gov) or a two-letter word,
   representing country (uk, nl), and that there's a hostname preceding
   the domain or country. */
/* Now we need to break up the domain to get a count of how many atoms
   it consists of. */
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) {
   // the address must end in a two letter or three letter word.
   alert("Email address is invalid")
   return false
}
// Make sure there's a host name preceding the domain.
if (len<2) {
   var errStr="Email address is invalid!"
   alert(errStr)
   return false
}
// If we've gotten this far, everything's valid!
return true;
}