function checkContact() { // this starts checkContact

	var sError = "";

	if (document.forms[0].realname.value.length > 1) {
		} // if realname line is not blank go to next check
	else {
		   sError = sError + "Please enter your name. \n";
	}

	
	if (document.forms[0].email.value.length > 0) {
		} // if email line is not blank go to next check
	else {
		   sError = sError + "Please enter an email address. \n";
	}
		
	if (document.forms[0].email.value.length >0) { // begin checking for valid email address
	   i=document.forms[0].email.value.indexOf("@");
	   j=document.forms[0].email.value.indexOf(".",i);
	   k=document.forms[0].email.value.indexOf(",");
	   kk=document.forms[0].email.value.indexOf(" ");
	   jj=document.forms[0].email.value.lastIndexOf(".")+1;
	   len=document.forms[0].email.value.length;
	   
	   if ((i>0) && (j>(i+1)) && (k==-1) && (kk==-1) && (len-jj >=2) && (len-jj<=3)) {
//		   return true;
		   }
	   else {
		   sError = sError + "Please enter a valid email address. \n";
		   }
	} // end checking valid email address format

	if (document.forms[0].subject.value.length > 1) {
		} // if subject line is not blank go to next check
	else {
		   sError = sError + "Please enter a message subject. \n";
	}

	if (document.forms[0].comments.value.length > 1) {
		} // if body is not blank go to next check
	else {
		   sError = sError + "Please enter a message. \n";
	}

	if (sError.length > 1) { // check if any errors
		alert (sError);
		return false;
	}
	else {
		return true;
	}
		
} // this ends checkContact