// utility function to retrieve an expiration data in proper format;
function getExpDate(days, hours, minutes) {
	var expDate = new Date();
	if (typeof (days) == "number" && typeof (hours) == "number" && typeof (hours) == "number") {
		expDate.setDate(expDate.getDate() + parseInt(days));
		expDate.setHours(expDate.getHours() + parseInt(hours));
		expDate.setMinutes(expDate.getMinutes() + parseInt(minutes));
		return expDate.toGMTString();
	}
}

// utility function called by getCookie()
function getCookieVal(offset) {
	var endstr = document.cookie.indexOf(";", offset);
	if (endstr == -1) {
		endstr = document.cookie.length;
	}
	return unescape(document.cookie.substring(offset, endstr));
}

// primary function to retrieve cookie by name
function getCookie(name) {
	var arg = name + "=";
	var alen = arg.length;
	var clen = document.cookie.length;
	var i = 0;
	while (i < clen) {
		var j = i + alen;
		if (document.cookie.substring(i, j) == arg) {
			return getCookieVal(j);
		}
		i = document.cookie.indexOf(" ", i) + 1;
		if (i == 0) {
			break;
		}
	}
	return null;
}

function setCookie(name, value) {
	var expires = getExpDate(180,0,0);
	document.cookie = name + "=" + escape(value) +  "; expires=" + expires;
}


// remove the cookie by setting ancient expiration date
function deleteCookie(name, path, domain) {
	if (getCookie(name)) {
		document.cookie = name + "=" + ((path) ? "; path=" + path : "") + ((domain) ? "; domain=" + domain : "") + "; expires=Thu, 01-Jan-70 00:00:01 GMT";
	}
}