//-------------------------------------------------------------

function setPermCookie(name, value) {
	var now = new Date();
	now.setTime(now.getTime() + 365 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
  setCookie(name, value, now);
}

//-------------------------------------------------------------

// name - name of the cookie
// value - value of the cookie
function setCookie(name, value, expires) {
  var curCookie = name + "=" + escape(value) + ((expires) ? "; path=/;  expires=" + expires.toGMTString() : "") ;
	
  self.focus();
  document.cookie = curCookie;
}

//-------------------------------------------------------------

// name - name of the desired cookie
// * return string containing value of specified cookie or null if cookie does not exist
function getCookie(name) {
  var dc = document.cookie;
  var prefix = name + "=";
  var begin = dc.indexOf("; " + prefix);
  if (begin == -1) {
    begin = dc.indexOf(prefix);
    if (begin != 0) return null;
  } 
	else begin += 2;
  var end = document.cookie.indexOf(";", begin);
  if (end == -1) end = dc.length;
  return unescape(dc.substring(begin + prefix.length, end));
}

//-------------------------------------------------------------

function getAbsoluteCookie(name){
  var dc = document.cookie;
	var pairs = dc.split("; ");
	var val = "";
	
	for(var i = 0; i<pairs.length; i++){
		var parts = pairs[i].split("=");
		if(parts[0] == name && parts[1] != null && parts[1] != "")
			val = parts[1];
	}
	
	return unescape(val);
}

//-------------------------------------------------------------

// name - name of the cookie
// [path] - path of the cookie (must be same as path used to create cookie)
// [domain] - domain of the cookie (must be same as domain used to create cookie)
// * path and domain default if assigned null or omitted if no explicit argument proceeds
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";
  }
}

//-------------------------------------------------------------

// date - any instance of the Date object
// * hand all instances of the Date object to this function for "repairs"
function fixDate(date) {
  var base = new Date(0);
  var skew = base.getTime();
  if (skew > 0)
    date.setTime(date.getTime() - skew);
}

//-------------------------------------------------------------