function createCookie(name,value,days,domain) {
	var date, expires, domainCmd
	if (days)
	{
		date = new Date();
		date.setTime(date.getTime()+(days*24*60*60*1000));
		expires = "; expires="+date.toGMTString();
	}
	else expires = "";
	if (!domain)
	{
		domainCmd = "";
	}
	else
	{
		domainCmd = "domain="+domain;
	}
	document.cookie = name+"="+value+expires+"; path=/"+";"+domainCmd;
}

function readCookie(name) {
	// returns value of cookie, or null if cookie not found
	var nameEQ = name + "=";
	var ca = document.cookie.split(';');
	for(var i=0;i < ca.length;i++)
	{
		var c = ca[i];
		while (c.charAt(0)==' ') c = c.substring(1,c.length);
		if (c.indexOf(nameEQ) == 0) return c.substring(nameEQ.length,c.length);
	}
	return null; /* if we got this far, give up */
}

function eraseCookie(name) {
	createCookie(name,"",-1);
}

function cookiesAllowed() {
	/* returns TRUE if cookies are allowed by browser */
	/* otherwise, returns FALSE */
	
	var expireWhenBrowserCloses = 0;
	createCookie( "testIfCookiesAreAllowed", "yesThisCookieExists", expireWhenBrowserCloses );
	var result = readCookie( "testIfCookiesAreAllowed" );
	
	if ( result ) {
		return true;
	}
	else {
		return false;
	}
	
	/* return readCookie( "testIfCookiesAreAllowed" );  */ 
}