// name - name of the cookie
// value - value of the cookie
// [expires] - expiration date of the cookie (defaults to end of current session)
// [path] - path for which the cookie is valid (defaults to path of calling document)
// [domain] - domain for which the cookie is valid (defaults to domain of calling document)
// [secure] - Boolean value indicating if the cookie transmission requires a secure transmission
// * an argument defaults when it is assigned null as a placeholder
// * a null placeholder is not required for trailing omitted arguments
function setCookie(name, value, expires, path, domain, secure) {
  var curCookie = name + "=" + escape(value) +
      ((expires) ? "; expires=" + expires.toGMTString() : "") +
      ((path) ? "; path=" + path : "") +
      ((domain) ? "; domain=" + domain : "") +
      ((secure) ? "; secure" : "");
  document.cookie = curCookie;
}

// name - name of the desired cookie
// * return string containing value of specified cookie or null if cookie does not exist
function getCookie(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));
}

// name - name of the cookie
// [path] - path of the cookie (must be same as path used to create cookie)
// [domain] - domain of the cookie (must be same as domain used to create cookie)
// * path and domain default if assigned null or omitted if no explicit argument proceeds
function deleteCookie(name, path, domain) {
  if (getCookie(name)) {
    document.cookie = name + "=" + 
    ((path) ? "; path=" + path : "") +
    ((domain) ? "; domain=" + domain : "") +
    "; expires=Thu, 01-Jan-70 00:00:01 GMT";
  }
}

// date - any instance of the Date object
// * hand all instances of the Date object to this function for "repairs"
function fixDate(date) {
  var base = new Date(0);
  var skew = base.getTime();
  if (skew > 0)
    date.setTime(date.getTime() - skew);
}

//read a cookie array
function readCartCookie() {
	var the_info = new Array();
	// load the cookie into a variable and unescape it
	//var the_cookie = document.cookie;
	//var the_cookie = unescape(the_cookie);
	var the_cookie = getCookie('cookiecart');
	// separate the values from the cookie name
	var broken_cookie = the_cookie.split("=");
	var the_values = broken_cookie[1];
	// break each name:value pair into an array
	if (typeof(the_values) != "undefined") {
		var separated_values = the_values.split("/");
		// loop through the list of name:values and load up the associate array
		var property_value = "";
		var j = 0
		for (var loop = 0; loop < separated_values.length; loop++) {
			property_value = separated_values[loop];
			var broken_info = property_value.split(":");
			var the_property = broken_info[0];
			var the_value = broken_info[1];
			the_info[the_property] = eval('new Array('+the_value+')');
			j++;
		}
		if (j > 0)
			return the_info;
		else
			return null;
	} else
		return null;
}

//write a cookie array
function writeCartCookie(thecart) {
	var startstring = "";
	var k = 0;
	for (i in thecart) {
		if (k != 0)
			startstring += "/";
		startstring += i + ":";
		var l = 0;
		for (j in thecart[i]) {
			if (l != 0)
				startstring += ",";
			startstring += "'" + thecart[i][j] + "'";
			l++;
		}
		k++;
	}
	//document.cookie = "cookiecart=" + escape(startstring);
	setCookie('cookiecart',startstring,now);
}

var now = new Date();
// fix the bug in Navigator 2.0, Macintosh
fixDate(now);
// cookie expires in one year (actually, 365 days)
// 365 days in a year
// 24 hours in a day
// 60 minutes in an hour
// 60 seconds in a minute
// 1000 milliseconds in a second
now.setTime(now.getTime() + 365 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);