function setCheckboxes(the_form, the_parent, the_children) {
    var elts=document.forms[the_form].elements;
    var elts_cnt  = (typeof(elts.length) != 'undefined')
                  ? elts.length
                  : 0;
    if (elts_cnt) {
        for (var i = 0; i < elts_cnt; i++) {
           if(elts[i].name.indexOf(the_parent)!=-1) {
              if(elts[i].checked == true)
               do_check = true;
              else 
               do_check = false;
           }
           if(elts[i].name.indexOf(the_children)!=-1) {
              elts[i].checked = do_check;
           }
        } // end for
    } 

    return true;
} // end of the 'setCheckboxes()' function