function getTextAreaHeight(textareaelement)
{
    var textarea = document.getElementById(textareaelement);
    var shadowdiv = document.createElement('div');
    document.appendChild(shadowdiv);
    shadowdiv.style.lineHeight = textarea.style.lineHeight;
    shadowdiv.style.fontSize = textarea.style.fontSize;
    shadowdiv.style.fontFamily = textarea.style.fontFamily;
    shadowdiv.style.position = 'absolute';
    shadowdiv.style.top = '200px';  //'-10000px';
    shadowdiv.style.left = '200px';  //'-10000px';
    shadowdiv.style.width = '430px';
    shadowdiv.style.height = '50px';
    shadowdiv.innerHTML = textarea.value;
    
    alert(textarea.value);
    alert(textarea.style.width);
    alert(shadowdiv.innerHTML);
    alert(shadowdiv.offsetHeight);
    alert(shadowdiv.scrollHeight);
}

//inspired by: http://github.com/jaz303/jquery-grab-bag/blob/63d7e445b09698272b2923cb081878fd145b5e3d/javascripts/jquery.autogrow-textarea.js 
//if (window.Widget == undefined) window.Widget = {};

//function 

//Widget.Textarea = Class.create({
    //initialize: function(textarea, options) {
      //  this.textarea = $(textarea);
      //  this.options = $H({
      //      'min_height': 30,
      //      'max_length': 400
      //  }).update(options);
//
      //  this.textarea.observe('keyup', this.refresh.bind(this));

      //  this._shadow = new Element('div').setStyle({
      //      lineHeight: this.textarea.getStyle('lineHeight'),
       //     fontSize: this.textarea.getStyle('fontSize'),
       ////     fontFamily: this.textarea.getStyle('fontFamily'),
       //     position: 'absolute',
        //    top: '-10000px',
        //    left: '-10000px',
       //     width: this.textarea.getWidth() + 'px'
       // });
// this.textarea.insert({ after: this._shadow });

        // this._remainingCharacters = new Element('p').addClassName('remainingCharacters');
        //  this.textarea.insert({ after: this._remainingCharacters });
        //  this.refresh();
        //},

    //refresh: function() {
       // this._shadow.update($F(this.textarea).replace(/\n/g, '<br/>'));
//this.textarea.setStyle({
        //    height: Math.max(parseInt(this._shadow.getHeight()) + parseInt(this.textarea.getStyle('lineHeight').replace('px', '')), this.options.get('min_height')) + 'px'
        //});

       // var remaining = this.options.get('max_length') - $F(this.textarea).length;
       // this._remainingCharacters.update(Math.abs(remaining) + ' characters ' + (remaining > 0 ? 'remaining' : 'over the limit'));
    //}
//