function stripe(id) {

// the flag we'll use to keep track of 
// whether the current row is odd or even
var even = false;
  
// if arguments are provided to specify the colours
// of the even & odd rows, then use the them;
// otherwise use the following defaults:
var evenColor = arguments[1] ? arguments[1] : "#fff";
var oddColor = arguments[2] ? arguments[2] : "#eee";
  
// obtain a reference to the desired table
// if no such table exists, abort
var table = document.getElementById(id);
if (! table) { return; }

// by definition, tables can have more than one tbody
// element, so we'll have to get the list of child
// <tbody>s 
var tbodies = table.getElementsByTagName("tbody");

// and iterate through them...
for (var h = 0; h < tbodies.length; h++) {

 // find all the &lt;tr&gt; elements... 
  var trs = tbodies[h].getElementsByTagName("tr");
  
  // ... and iterate through them
  for (var i = 0; i < trs.length; i++) {

	// avoid rows that have a class attribute
// or backgroundColor style
	if (!hasClass(trs[i]) && ! trs[i].style.backgroundColor) {
 
 // get all the cells in this row...
  var tds = trs[i].getElementsByTagName("td");

  // and iterate through them...
  for (var j = 0; j < tds.length; j++) {

var mytd = tds[j];

// avoid cells that have a class attribute
// or backgroundColor style
	if (! hasClass(mytd) && ! mytd.style.backgroundColor) {

		  mytd.style.backgroundColor = even ? evenColor : oddColor;
  
}
  }
}
// flip from odd to even, or vice-versa
even =  ! even;
  }
}
  }