function send_get_menu_items_request(menu_section)
{
    var url = '/common/ajax/get_menu_items_by_top_level_section.php';

    var map = { menu_section : menu_section };

    jQuery.get( url, map, receive_get_menu_items_response );
}

function receive_get_menu_items_response(doc,statusText)
{
    var menu_section_nodes = doc.getElementsByTagName('MenuSection');

    if( menu_section_nodes.length <= 0 )
    {
        return;
    }

    var menu_section = menu_section_nodes[0].childNodes[0].nodeValue;

    var div_left_col = document.getElementById('menu-col-left');

    var div_right_col = document.getElementById('menu-col-right');

    var menu_item_nodes = doc.getElementsByTagName('MenuItem');

    if( menu_item_nodes.length <= 0 )
    {
        //alert( "there are no menu_item_nodes to load in section: " + menu_section );
        return;
    }

    var empty = /^\s+$/;

    //alert( "you have " + menu_item_nodes.length + " menu_item nodes ");

    for( i = 0; i < menu_item_nodes.length; i++ )
    {
        var item_node = menu_item_nodes[i];

        var name_nodes = item_node.getElementsByTagName('Name');

        //alert( "you have " + name_nodes.length + " name nodes ");

        var name = name_nodes[0].childNodes[0].nodeValue;

        //alert( name );

        var desc = '';
        var desc_nodes = item_node.getElementsByTagName('Description');

        if ($.browser.msie)
        {
                desc = desc_nodes[0].childNodes[0].nodeValue;
        }
        else
        {
                desc = desc_nodes[0].childNodes[1].nodeValue;
        }

        //alert( desc );

        var price = '';
        var price_nodes = item_node.getElementsByTagName('Price');

        if( price_nodes.length >= 1 )
        {
            //alert( "you have " + price_nodes.length + " price nodes ");

            if( price_nodes[0].childNodes.length >= 2 )
            {
                price = price_nodes[0].childNodes[1].nodeValue;
            }
        }

        //alert( price );

        var section = '';
        var section_nodes = item_node.getElementsByTagName('ItemSection');

        if( section_nodes.length >= 1 )
        {
            //alert( "you have " + section_nodes.length + " section nodes ");

            if( section_nodes[0].childNodes.length >= 1 )
            {
                section = section_nodes[0].childNodes[0].nodeValue;
            }
        }

        if( section == menu_section )
        {
            name_div = document.createElement( 'div' );
            name_div.className = 'item-name';
            name_div.innerHTML = name;

            desc_price_div = document.createElement( 'div' );
            desc_price_div.className = 'item-description';
            desc_price_div.innerHTML = desc + '' + price;

            if( ( i % 2 ) == 0 )
            {
                div_left_col.appendChild(name_div);
                div_left_col.appendChild(desc_price_div);
            }
            else
            {
                div_right_col.appendChild(name_div);
                div_right_col.appendChild(desc_price_div);
            }
        }
        else
        {
            var dest_div_id = 'menu-section-' + section;
            var dest_div = document.getElementById(dest_div_id);

            var entry_text = name;

            if( 
                ( null != desc ) &&
                ( undefined != desc ) &&
                ( desc.length >= 1 ) &&
                ( !empty.test(desc) )
              )
            {
                entry_text += ', ' + desc;
            }

            if(
                    ( null != price ) &&
                    ( undefined != price ) &&
                    ( price.length >= 1 ) &&
                    ( !empty.test(price) )
              )
            {
                entry_text += '' + price;
            }

            var p = document.createElement('p');

            var text_node = document.createTextNode(entry_text);

            p.appendChild(text_node);

            dest_div.appendChild(p);
        }
    }
}