// reads the value of a cookie
function cookies_getCookieVal(offset){
    var endstr = document.cookie.indexOf(";", offset);
    if (endstr == -1)
        endstr = document.cookie.length;
    return unescape(document.cookie.substring(offset, endstr));
}

// reads a cookie and reads its value
function cookies_getCookieByName(name){
    var arg = name + "=";
    var alen = arg.length;
    var clen = document.cookie.length;
    var i = 0;
    while (i < clen){
        var j = i + alen;
        if (document.cookie.substring(i, j) == arg) {
            return cookies_getCookieVal(j);
        }
        i = document.cookie.indexOf(" ", i) + 1;
        if (i == 0) break;
    }
    return false;
}

// set cookie value at given name
function cookies_storeCookie(name, value, path) {
    document.cookie = name + "=" +escape(value) +
        ((path) ? ";path=" + path : "" );
}