function getCookie(name) {
    var documentCookies = document.cookie; 
    var cookieName = name + "=";
    var cookiesLength = documentCookies.length;
    var cookieStartPosition = 0;

    while (cookieStartPosition < cookiesLength) {
            var valueBeginPosition = cookieStartPosition + cookieName.length;
            if (documentCookies.substring(cookieStartPosition, valueBeginPosition) == cookieName)
            { 
                var valueEndPosition = documentCookies.indexOf (";", valueBeginPosition);
                if (valueEndPosition == -1) valueEndPosition = cookiesLength;
                return unescape(documentCookies.substring(valueBeginPosition, valueEndPosition));
            }
            cookieStartPosition = documentCookies.indexOf(" ", cookieStartPosition) + 1;
            if (cookieStartPosition == 0) break;
    }
    return null;
}

function setCookie(name, value, expires) {
    if (!expires) expires = new Date();
    document.cookie = name + "=" + escape (value) + "; expires=" + expires.toUTCString() +  "; path=/";
}


function delCookie(name) {
    var expireNow = new Date();
    document.cookie = name + "=" + "; expires=June 17, 1971 05:30:00" +  "; path=/";
}


function setDate(name){
     var expiryDate = new Date();
     expiryDate.setTime(expiryDate.getTime()+(1000*60*60*24*60));
     setCookie("lastVisit"+name,new Date(),expiryDate);
}


function getDate(name){
     var lastVisitTxt = getCookie("lastVisit"+name);
     var toBeReturned;
     if (lastVisitTxt==null)
          {
               return (new Date("June 17, 1971 05:30:00"));
          }
     else
          {
              return  (new Date(lastVisitTxt));
          }
}

function announce(htmlPage,xSize,ySize){
     var announcementWin=window.open(htmlPage,'announcementWin','scrollbars=yes,width='+xSize+',height='+ySize+',dependent=no,resizable=yes');
     announcementWin.moveTo(50,50);
}

//function announce(htmlPage){
//     announce(htmlPage,400,450);
//}