var siteLanguage = "";
function setLang(langCode){

    setCookie('language',langCode,365);


}


function checkLang(){


var languageParameter = "";

languageParameter = getURLVar("language");


//Note: checking that the value is an actual string rather than undefined
if(languageParameter != "" && typeof(languageParameter) == 'string'){
    setCookie('language',languageParameter,365);


}

languagePref=getCookie('language');

if(languagePref != "" ){


siteLanguage = languagePref; 
return languagePref;

}



}

//returns URL value based on lowercase key- but looks for it case insensitive
function getURLVar(urlVarName) {
	var urlHalves = String(document.location).split('?');
	var urlVarValue = '';
	if(urlHalves[1]){
		var urlVars = urlHalves[1].split('&');
			for(var i=0; i<=(urlVars.length); i++){
			if(urlVars[i]){
				var urlVarPair = urlVars[i].split('=');
				if (urlVarPair[0] && urlVarPair[0].toLowerCase() == urlVarName.toLowerCase()) {
					urlVarValue = urlVarPair[1];
				}
			}
		}
	}
	return urlVarValue;
}



function getCookie(c_name)
{
if (document.cookie.length>0)
  {
  c_start=document.cookie.indexOf(c_name + "=");
  if (c_start!=-1)
    { 
    c_start=c_start + c_name.length+1; 
    c_end=document.cookie.indexOf(";",c_start);
    if (c_end==-1) c_end=document.cookie.length;
    return unescape(document.cookie.substring(c_start,c_end));
    } 
  }
return "";
}
function setCookie(c_name,value,expiredays)
{
var exdate=new Date();
exdate.setDate(exdate.getDate()+expiredays);
document.cookie=c_name+ "=" +escape(value)+
((expiredays==null) ? "" : ";expires="+exdate.toGMTString());
}
function checkCookie()
{
language=getCookie('language');
if (language!=null && language!="")
  {
  alert('your language preference is '+language+'!');
  }
  else 
  {
  language=prompt('Please enter language preference:',"");
  if (language!=null && language!="")
    {
    setCookie('language',language,365);
    }
  }
}