function checkAbsForm() {
first_name = document.getElementById("first_name").value;
last_name = document.getElementById("last_name").value;
email_address = document.getElementById("email_address").value;
institution = document.getElementById("institution").value;
abstract_title = document.getElementById("abstract_title").value;
abstract = document.getElementById("abstract").value;

  if (first_name == "") {
hideAllErrors();
document.getElementById("first_nameError").style.display = "inline";
document.getElementById("first_name").select();
document.getElementById("first_name").focus();
  return false;
  } else if (last_name == "") {
hideAllErrors();
document.getElementById("last_nameError").style.display = "inline";
document.getElementById("last_name").select();
document.getElementById("last_name").focus();
  return false;
  } else if (email_address == "") {
hideAllErrors();
document.getElementById("email_addressError").style.display = "inline";
document.getElementById("email_address").select();
document.getElementById("email_address").focus();
  return false;
  } else if (institution == "") {
hideAllErrors();
document.getElementById("institutionError").style.display = "inline";
document.getElementById("institution").select();
document.getElementById("institution").focus();
  return false;
  } else if (abstract_title == "") {
hideAllErrors();
document.getElementById("abstract_titleError").style.display = "inline";
document.getElementById("abstract_title").select();
document.getElementById("abstract_title").focus();
  return false;
  } else if (abstract == "") {
hideAllErrors();
document.getElementById("abstractError").style.display = "inline";
document.getElementById("abstract").select();
document.getElementById("abstract").focus();
  return false;
  }
  return true;
  }

  function hideAllErrors() {
document.getElementById("first_nameError").style.display = "none"
document.getElementById("last_nameError").style.display = "none"
document.getElementById("email_addressError").style.display = "none"
document.getElementById("institutionError").style.display = "none"
document.getElementById("abstract_titleError").style.display = "none"
document.getElementById("abstractError").style.display = "none"
  }