function writeCookie(name, value, days) {

	// By default, there is no expiration so the cookie is 
	// temporary.
	var expires = "";

	// Specifying a number of days makes the cookie persistant.
	if(days) {
		var date = new Date();
		date.setTime(date.getTime() + (days * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000));
		expires = "; expires=" + date.toGMTString();
	}

	// Set the cookie to the name, value, and expiration date.
	document.cookie = name + "=" + value + expires + "; path=/";
}

function readCookie(name) {
	// Find the specified cookie and returns its value
	var searchName = name +  "=";

	var cookies = document.cookie.split(';');
	
	for(var i=0; i<cookies.length; i++)
	{
		var c = cookies[i];
		while(c.charAt(0) == ' ')
		  c = c.substr(1, c.length);
		if(c.indexOf(searchName) == 0)
		  return c.substr(searchName.length, c.length);
	}
	return null;
}

function deleteCookie(name) {
	// Erase the specified cookie.
	writeCookie(name, "", -1);
}


/**
 *	returns - true if cookies are enabled in the user's browser.
 *	        - false if cookies are not enabled in the user's browser.
 */
function hasCookiesEnabled()
{
   var cookiesEnabled;
   var tmpcookie = new Date();
   chkcookie = (tmpcookie.getTime() + '');
   document.cookie = "chkcookie=" + chkcookie + "; path=/";
   
    if (document.cookie.indexOf(chkcookie,0) < 0) {
       cookiesEnabled = false;
      }
    else {
      cookiesEnabled = true;
    }
    
    return cookiesEnabled;
}