function SetCookie(name, value, expires, path, domain, secure) {

  // 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

  var curCookie = name + "=" + escape(value) +
      ((expires) ? "; expires=" + expires.toGMTString() : "") +
      ((path) ? "; path=" + path : "") +
      ((domain) ? "; domain=" + domain : "") +
      ((secure) ? "; secure" : "");
  if ((name + "=" + escape(value)).length <= 4000)
   document.cookie = curCookie
  else
   if (confirm("Your cookie file exceeds the 4KB limit - older selections will be forgotten if you proceed"))
  document.cookie = curCookie;

}

function GetCookie(name) {

  // name - name of the desired cookie
  // * return string containing value of specified cookie or null if cookie does not exist

  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 DeleteCookie(name, path, domain) {

  // 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

  if (GetCookie(name)) {
    document.cookie = name + "=" + 
    ((path) ? "; path=" + path : "") +
    ((domain) ? "; domain=" + domain : "") +
    "; expires=Thu, 01-Jan-70 00:00:01 GMT";
  }

}

function FixCookieDate(date) {

  // date - any instance of the Date object
  // * hand all instances of the Date object to this function for "repairs"

  var base = new Date(0);
  var skew = base.getTime();
  if (skew > 0)
    date.setTime(date.getTime() - skew);
}