function isDefined(thing)
{
	var thingRepresentation = "" + thing;
	//debugLn(thingRepresentation);
	return thingRepresentation!="undefined";
}

// Sets cookie values. Expiration date is optional

function setCookie(name, value, expire)
{
	var cookieValue = name + "=" + escape(value);
	if (isDefined(expire))
		cookieValue += "; expires=" + expire.toGMTString();
	document.cookie = cookieValue;
}

function setCookieForYear(name, value)
{
	var expire = new Date();
	expire.setFullYear(expire.getFullYear()+1);
	setCookie(name,value,expire);
}

// The following function returns a cookie value, given the name of the cookie:

function getCookie(Name)
{
   var search = Name + "=";
   if (document.cookie.length > 0)
	{
		// if there are any cookies
      var offset = document.cookie.indexOf(search);
      if (offset != -1)
		{
			// if cookie exists 
         offset += search.length;
         // set index of beginning of value
         var end = document.cookie.indexOf(";", offset);
         // set index of end of cookie value
         if (end == -1) 
            end = document.cookie.length;
         return unescape(document.cookie.substring(offset, end));
      } 
   }
}