function set_cookie (name, value) {
    //alert('set_cookie called');
    var argv = set_cookie.arguments;
    var argc = set_cookie.arguments.length;
    var expires = (argc > 2) ? argv[2] : null;
    var path = (argc > 3) ? argv[3] : null;
    var domain = (argc > 4) ? argv[4] : null;
    var secure = (argc > 5) ? argv[5] : false;
    document.cookie = name + "=" + escape (value) +
    ((expires == null) ? "" : ("; expires=" + expires.toGMTString())) +
    ((path == null) ? "" : ("; path=" + path)) +
    ((domain == null) ? "" : ("; domain=" + domain)) +
    ((secure == true) ? "; secure" : "");

}

function get_cookie_val (offset) {
    var endstr = document.cookie.indexOf (";", offset);
       if (endstr == -1)
       endstr = document.cookie.length;
    return unescape(document.cookie.substring(offset, endstr));
    }


function get_cookie(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));
}