function replaceChars(thisfield) {

 var frm = document.forms["roqualitysurvey"];
 var fieldToBeCleaned = frm.elements[thisfield];


 var out = ":"; // replace this
 var add = " -"; // with this

 var temp = "" + fieldToBeCleaned.value; // temporary holder

 while (temp.indexOf(out)>-1) {
 var pos = temp.indexOf(out);
 temp = "" + (temp.substring(0, pos) + add + 
 temp.substring((pos + out.length), temp.length));
}


fieldToBeCleaned.value = temp;

}



function ridWhiteSpace(thisfield) {

//set up trim functions to get rid of white space in the text area 

function trim(s) { 
  while (s.substring(0,1) == ' ') { 
    s = s.substring(1,s.length); 
  } 
  while (s.substring(s.length-1,s.length) == ' ') { 
    s = s.substring(0,s.length-1); 
  } 
  return s; 
} 

var frm = document.forms["roqualitysurvey"];
var fieldToBeCleaned = frm.elements[thisfield];
var checkval = fieldToBeCleaned.value; 
checkval = checkval.replace(/\r\n/g," "); 
checkval = checkval.replace(/\r/g," "); 
checkval = checkval.replace(/\n/g," "); 
checkval = trim(checkval); 

fieldToBeCleaned.value = checkval;

//you now have a variable that has the textarea value with no whitespace 


}