var essayMaximumLength = 50;
var essayAlertPrefix = "Please write your essay using ";
var essayAlertSuffix = " words or less.";
var letterS = (essayMaximumLength > 1) ? "s" : "";
var m1 = "Word";
var m2 = " remaining: "
var initialMessage = m1 + letterS + m2 + essayMaximumLength ;

var displayErrorMessage = false;

if(document.layers)
	{ document.captureEvents(Event.KEYPRESS); }

document.onkeyup=kpress;

function kpress(e)
	{ checkEssayLength( document.myForm, 0 ); }

function checkEssayLength(form, submitAlert)
	{
	if ( form.essay.value.length == 0 )
		{
		if ( submitAlert ) { alert( essayAlertPrefix + essayMaximumLength + essayAlertSuffix ); }
		document.getElementById("wordsLeft").innerHTML =  initialMessage;
		return false;
		}
	var formcontent=form.essay.value; 
	var initial_whitespace_rExp = /^\s+/gi;
	var trail_whitespace_rExp = /\s+$/gi;
	var doubleSpace = /\  +/gi;
	formcontent = formcontent.replace(initial_whitespace_rExp, "");
	formcontent = formcontent.replace(trail_whitespace_rExp, "");
	formcontent = formcontent.replace(doubleSpace, " ");
	formcontent = formcontent.split(" ")
	var word_count=formcontent.length;
	var display_count = essayMaximumLength - word_count;
	letterS = ( display_count == 1 )  ? "" : "s";
	if ( word_count > essayMaximumLength && submitAlert && displayErrorMessage )
		{
		alert( essayAlertPrefix + essayMaximumLength + essayAlertSuffix );
		form.essay.focus();
		displayWords = m1 + m2 + letterS + "0";
		document.getElementById("wordsLeft").innerHTML = displayWords;
		return false;
		}
	if ( display_count < 0 ) { display_count = 0; }
	document.getElementById("wordsLeft").innerHTML = m1 + letterS + m2 + display_count;
	return true;
	}