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

function readCookie(name)
{
    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;
}

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

function calculateCharacters(maxcount, inputfield, outputfield)
{
    $(outputfield).html(maxcount-$(inputfield).val().length);
}

function showLoadingDialog(text)
{
    $("#loadingdialog").jqm({modal: true}); 
    $("#loadingtext").html(text);
    $("#loadingdialog").jqmShow(); 
}

function hideLoadingDialog()
{
    $("#loadingdialog").jqmHide();
    $("#loadingtext").html(""); 
}

function isValidTime(timeStr) {

    var timePat = /^(\d{1,2}):(\d{2})(:(\d{2}))?(\s?(AM|am|PM|pm))?$/;

    var matchArray = timeStr.match(timePat);
    if (matchArray == null) {
        return false;
    }
    
    hour = matchArray[1];
    minute = matchArray[2];

    if (hour < 0  || hour > 23) {
        return false;
    }
    
    if (minute<0 || minute > 59) {
        return false;
    }
    
    return true;

}