function popup(box,overlay,showhide)
{

   if(getCookie('counter') == null)
   {
        if(showhide == "show")
        {
            document.getElementById(box).style.visibility="visible"; /* If the function is called with the variable 'show', show the box */
            document.getElementById(overlay).style.visibility="visible"; /* If the function is called with the variable 'show', show the box */
            document.location+='#';
            visitCount();
        }
        else
        {
            document.getElementById(box).style.visibility="hidden"; /* If the function is called with the variable 'hide', hide the box */
            document.getElementById(overlay).style.visibility="hidden"; /* If the function is called with the variable 'hide', hide the box */
        }
   }
   else
   {
        document.getElementById(box).style.visibility="hidden"; /* If the function is called with the variable 'hide', hide the box */
        document.getElementById(overlay).style.visibility="hidden"; /* If the function is called with the variable 'hide', hide the box */

   }
}

/*
    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);
}

function visitCount()
{
    // create an instance of the Date object
    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);
    var visits = getCookie("counter");
    // if the cookie was not found, this is your first visit
    if (!visits)
    {
        visits = 1; // the value for the new cookie
    }
    else
    {
        // increment the counter
        visits = parseInt(visits) + 1;
    }
    // set the new cookie
    setCookie("counter", visits, now);
    return(visits);
}

function rand(l,u) // lower bound and upper bound
{
    return Math.floor((Math.random() * (u-l+1))+l);
}

function replaceInControl(oControl,rPattern,sReplacement){
return oControl.value=
oControl.value.replace(rPattern,sReplacement);
}