Monday, April 6, 2009

HTTP cookies


HTTP cookies (also referred to as Web cookies, tracking cookies, or cookies) are small text files containing a user's settings and other data used by websites, and are stored on the user's computer. They are transmitted as parcels of text sent by a server to a Web client (usually a browser) and then sent back unchanged by client each time it accesses that server. HTTP cookies are used for authenticating, session tracking (state maintenance), and maintaining specific information about users, such as site preferences or the contents of their electronic shopping carts.

The term "cookie" is derived from "magic cookie," a well-known concept in UNIX computing which inspired both the idea and the name of HTTP cookies. Some alternatives to cookies exist, but each has its own uses, advantages, and drawbacks.

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