var __caution = false

// name - name of the cookie
// value - value of the cookie
// [expires] - expiration date of the cookie
// (defaults to end of current session)
// [path] - path for which the cookie is valid
// (defaults to path of calling document)
// [domain] - domain for which the cookie is valid
// (defaults to domain of calling document)
// [secure] - Boolean value indicating if
// the cookie transmission requires a secure transmission
// * an argument defaults when it is assigned null as a placeholder
// * a null placeholder is not required for trailing omitted arguments
function setCookie(name, value, expires, path, domain, secure) {
   var curCookie = name + "=" + escape(value) +
      ((expires) ? "; expires=" + expires.toGMTString() : "") +
      ((path) ? "; path=" + path : "") +
      ((domain) ? "; domain=" + domain : "") +
      ((secure) ? "; secure" : "")
   if (!__caution || (name + "=" + escape(value)).length <= 4000)
      document.cookie = curCookie
   else
      if (confirm("Cookie exceeds 4KB and will be cut!"))
         document.cookie = curCookie
}

// name - name of the cookie
// * return string containing value
// of specified cookie or null if cookie
// does not exist
function getCookie(name) {
   var prefix = name + "="
   var cookieStartIndex = document.cookie.indexOf(prefix)
   if (cookieStartIndex == -1)
      return null
   var cookieEndIndex = document.cookie.indexOf(";", cookieStartIndex +
      prefix.length)
   if (cookieEndIndex == -1)
      cookieEndIndex = document.cookie.length
   return unescape(document.cookie.substring(cookieStartIndex +
      prefix.length,
cookieEndIndex))
}

// 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
// * you should hand all instances of the
// Date object to this function for "repairs"
// * this function is taken from
// Chapter 14, "Time and Date in JavaScript", in
// "Learn Advanced JavaScript Programming"
function fixDate(date) {
   var base = new Date(0)
   var skew = base.getTime()
   if (skew > 0)
      date.setTime(date.getTime() - skew)
}