// retrieves the value of the specified cookie, or "" if not found
function getCookie(name) {
	var retval = "";
	var myCookie = " " + document.cookie + ";";
	var searchName = " " + name + "=";
	var startOfCookie = myCookie.indexOf(searchName);
	var endOfCookie;
	
	if (startOfCookie != -1) {
		startOfCookie += searchName.length;
		endOfCookie = myCookie.indexOf(";", startOfCookie);
		retval = unescape(myCookie.substring(startOfCookie, endOfCookie));
	}
	return retval;
}

// sets the value of the specified cookie
function setCookie(name, value, expires, path, domain, secure) {
	var expString = ((expires == null) ? "" : ("; expires=" + expires.toGMTString()));
	var pathString = ((path == null) ? "" : ("; path=" + path));
	var domainString = ((domain == null) ? "" : ("; domain="+domain));
	var secureString = ((secure == true) ? "; secure" : "");
	document.cookie = name + "=" + escape(value) + expString + pathString + domainString + secureString;
}