Is there a way of assigning a variable to a cookie and then have the variable in the Cookie recognized in embedded pages?

For example, I have a page that displays 3 weblogs (3 columns).  The portal page embeds the single pages for each weblog (3 embeds).  The embed pages define the weblog and include the if statement for the field (custom field) which exists in the three weblogs.

I’d like to be able to use the contents of a drop down variable so I don’t have to make a unique set of weblogs/templates for each user type. 

I’m thinking it could be something similar to the skins module that enables you to set the variable for the page on the fly.

I tried putting it in my portal page and having it feel the three embedded pages.  Wouldn’t I have the same problem with the variable not passing to the embedded pages, even if I was to get the cookie thing to work?

I’m not sure I understand your example, but just going off your initial question:

You ought to be able to use PHP to set a cookie value.  Whenever you wanted to use the value in a Template you’d then need to “retrieve” it for use using PHP just like normal:

I’ll try to ‘splain it better:

Let’s say I have a drop down on the page that is:
Girl
Boy

The user picks “Girl.”

That is a custom field defined in three weblogs.  The pages call all three weblogs, on separate templates, embedded into the main one.  All three sub-templates need that variable to define what is displayed.

I tried testing it by setting up a fourth template that contained the variable definition and embedding it in the other three, but the system doesn’t seem to recognize the value from an external template.  (For example, the 4th template contained only the line “{assign_variable:boy_or_girl=“girl”}

Will it be able to parse the sub-templates into the main one, pulling only the values for “Girl” if I use a cookie rather than a template? 

Templates are all parsed separately (regardless of how they’re “embedded”) so values are not passed from one Template to another.

If you set a value in a cookie then you should be able to read that cookie value in each of your Templates using PHP and then use PHP within the Template to echo or use the variable however you want.