var DebugDump = Class.create();
   
   DebugDump.prototype = {
   
      initialize: function(id) {
         this.container_id = id;
      },
      
      // helper-function: add a leading zero to a 1 digit number
      _addzero: function(number) {
         if (number<10) {
            return "0"+number;
         } else {
            return number;
         }
      },
      
      _write: function(msg) {
         var localTime = new Date;
         var time_disp = this._addzero(localTime.getHours()) + ":" + this._addzero(localTime.getMinutes()) + ":" + this._addzero(localTime.getSeconds());
         return '<p><span class="timeinfo">'+time_disp+'</span> '+msg+'</p>';
      },
      
      
      /* ------------- public methods ------------------ */
      
      set: function(msg) {
         $(this.container_id).update(this._write(msg));
      },
      
      add: function(msg) {
         $(this.container_id).update(this._write(msg)+$(this.container_id).innerHTML);
      },
      
      cls: function() {
         $(this.container_id).clear();
      },
      
      toggleDrawer: function() {
         new Effect.toggle(this.container_id, 'blind', {duration:0.3});
      }
      
   }