Working with Cookies

1
Working with Cookies
2
What is a Cookie?

• According to Whatis.com a cookie is
• A cookie is information that a Web site puts on
  your hard disk so that it can remember something
  about you at a later time.
• In Netscape, a cookie file is stored in the
  Cookies.txt folder in the Netscape folder.
• In IE, its in a Cookies Folder under Documents
  and Settings.
• Use Windows Search to find Cookies files and
  folders

3
A Cookie File From Netscape
C\Program Files\Netscape\Users\pmckeown\Cookies.t
xt
4
Cookies File in IE
C\Documents and Settings\pmckeown\Cookies
5
Creating a Guestbook Application with Cookies

• Lets create the same Guestbook application shown
  in the Dummies pp 174-181
• We will use a database rather than a sequential
  access file
• Download the database file from the class Web
  page along with the default.htm, gb.htm, and
  gbproc.asp files. They are zipped so you will
  need to unzip them.

6
Guestbook Application

• The Guestbook.zip file contains 6 files
• Guestbook.mdb (an Access 2000 file)
• DBConnect2000.asp (you should already have this)
• GB.htm (the file used to add names to guestbook
  and set preferences)
• GBProc.asp (file used to process names and
  preferences)
• Default.asp (the file that checks if a cookie
  exists or not)
• Global.asa (the application file that glues
  everything together)

7
Default.asp

• Default.asp checks to see if a cookie exists and,
  if it does, set preferences using data from the
  cookie and welcomes the visitor
• If does this by checking the value of a field in
  the cookie file.
• Cookie values are read through the
  Request.Cookies (filename)(fieldname)
  statement
• If a cookie does not exist, this is the first
  visit to site so it user is redirected to gb.htm
  to fill in the form there

8
GB.htm

• This is a standard html page with an input form
  that is used to input information about user to
  Guestbook.mdb
• It uses text boxes and listboxes to solicit
  information
• Nothing real new

9
GBproc.asp

• This file adds a new record to the Guestbook.mdb
  file using the Insert Into SQL Statement
• It also sets preferences in cookie based on those
  expressed by visitor.
• Preferences are set in the cookie through the
  Response.cookies(filename)(fieldname)
  statement
• Lets start with the GB.htm file since its the
  basis of all other information.