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How do I set and read cookies in JavaScript?

Asked on Aug 17, 2024

Answer

In JavaScript, you can set and read cookies using the "document.cookie" property. Here's a simple example to demonstrate how to do this.
// Function to set a cookie
        function setCookie(name, value, days) {
            const date = new Date();
            date.setTime(date.getTime() + (days * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000));
            const expires = "expires=" + date.toUTCString();
            document.cookie = name + "=" + value + ";" + expires + ";path=/";
        }

        // Function to get a cookie
        function getCookie(name) {
            const nameEQ = name + "=";
            const cookiesArray = document.cookie.split(';');
            for (let i = 0; i < cookiesArray.length; i++) {
                let cookie = cookiesArray[i].trim();
                if (cookie.indexOf(nameEQ) === 0) {
                    return cookie.substring(nameEQ.length, cookie.length);
                }
            }
            return null;
        }

        // Example usage
        setCookie("username", "JohnDoe", 7); // Set a cookie
        console.log(getCookie("username")); // Read the cookie
Additional Comment:
  • The "setCookie" function creates a cookie with a specified name, value, and expiration in days.
  • The "getCookie" function retrieves the value of a cookie by its name.
  • Cookies are stored as a single string in "document.cookie", separated by semicolons.
  • Always ensure cookies are set with a path to avoid unexpected behavior.
✅ Answered with JavaScript best practices.
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