Sling Academy
Home/JavaScript/Sync Client-Side State Using the Cookie Store API in JavaScript

Sync Client-Side State Using the Cookie Store API in JavaScript

Last updated: December 12, 2024

Managing client-side state effectively in web applications is crucial for a seamless user experience. Typically, developers have used cookies or local storage, but the Cookie Store API provides a new standard interface to simplify cookie management. With this API, you not only streamline your JavaScript with promise-based methods but also offer more secure and power-efficient operations.

The Cookie Store API is a new web API aimed to give the browser applications a more robust, asynchronous way to read and write cookies. This API simplifies common tasks by replacing the legacy document.cookie interface. The Cookie Store API is especially useful when working in secure applications which involve frequent cookie updates without disrupting the main execution thread.

Installation and Setup

The Cookie Store API is implemented in modern web browsers. As of this writing, it is available in Chromium-based browsers, but you should check the compatibility before developing. To start using it, ensure your development environment includes one of these browsers and that you’ve set your development server to run on HTTPS.

Let's dive into some practical examples of using the Cookie Store API. We'll explore storing, retrieving, updating, and deleting cookies in your application.

1. Reading Cookies

Reading cookies with the Cookie Store API is straightforward with its get() and getAll() methods.

// Reading a specific cookie
async function readCookie(name) {
  const myCookie = await cookieStore.get(name);
  if (myCookie) {
    console.log(`Cookie Value: ${myCookie.value}`);
  } else {
    console.log('Cookie not found');
  }
}

// Reading all cookies
async function readAllCookies() {
  const allCookies = await cookieStore.getAll();
  allCookies.forEach(cookie => {
    console.log(`Cookie Name: ${cookie.name}, Value: ${cookie.value}`);
  });
}

2. Setting Cookies

Setting a cookie is simple and more readable:

async function setCookie(name, value, options = {}) {
  await cookieStore.set({ name, value, ...options });
  console.log(`Set cookie: ${name} = ${value}`);
}

// Example:
setCookie('username', 'johndoe', { path: '/', expires: Date.now() + 3600 * 1000 });

3. Deleting Cookies

Removing cookies can be done using the delete() method:

async function deleteCookie(name) {
  await cookieStore.delete(name);
  console.log(`Deleted cookie: ${name}`);
}

// Example:
deleteCookie('username');

The Cookie Store API provides an event mechanism to listen for cookie changes. This enables your application to react to cookie changes dynamically:

cookieStore.addEventListener('change', event => {
  event.changed.forEach(cookie => {
    console.log(`Changed: ${cookie.name} = ${cookie.value}`);
  });
  event.deleted.forEach(cookie => {
    console.log(`Deleted: ${cookie.name}`);
  });
});

Considerations and Best Practices

  • For improved security, always serve cookies over HTTPS.
  • Use the path and domain attributes to scope your cookies to specific parts of your site.
  • Regularly review browser compatibility as the API continues to evolve and win further adoption.

The Cookie Store API transforms how developers manage cookies by introducing asynchronous handling, resulting in non-blocking operations. It's an ideal choice for modern applications requiring efficient state synchronization on the client-side. Exploring and implementing this API will enable you to unlock more streamlined and performance-oriented web development practices.

Next Article: Enhance Security with the Cookie Store API in JavaScript

Previous Article: Track Cookie Changes in Real-Time with JavaScript

Series: Web APIs – JavaScript Tutorials

JavaScript

You May Also Like

  • Handle Zoom and Scroll with the Visual Viewport API in JavaScript
  • Improve Security Posture Using JavaScript Trusted Types
  • Allow Seamless Device Switching Using JavaScript Remote Playback
  • Update Content Proactively with the JavaScript Push API
  • Simplify Tooltip and Dropdown Creation via JavaScript Popover API
  • Improve User Experience Through Performance Metrics in JavaScript
  • Coordinate Workers Using Channel Messaging in JavaScript
  • Exchange Data Between Iframes Using Channel Messaging in JavaScript
  • Manipulating Time Zones in JavaScript Without Libraries
  • Solving Simple Algebraic Equations Using JavaScript Math Functions
  • Emulating Traditional OOP Constructs with JavaScript Classes
  • Smoothing Out User Flows: Focus Management Techniques in JavaScript
  • Creating Dynamic Timers and Counters with JavaScript
  • Implement Old-School Data Fetching Using JavaScript XMLHttpRequest
  • Load Dynamic Content Without Reloading via XMLHttpRequest in JavaScript
  • Manage Error Handling and Timeouts Using XMLHttpRequest in JavaScript
  • Handle XML and JSON Responses via JavaScript XMLHttpRequest
  • Make AJAX Requests with XMLHttpRequest in JavaScript
  • Customize Subtitle Styling Using JavaScript WebVTT Integration