Introduction to Cookies
When it comes to Web development, I can't think of a single item that has caused more confusion and controversy than cookies. There are a number of reasons for this, some justified and some not. Let's start by dispelling some myths about what cookies are and are not.
Cookies are small amounts of text a site leaves on your computer so that it recognizes you when you come back. A cookie is not a virus, and because it's just text (not executable) it's not capable of spreading viruses. Because a site can only read the cookies it's left you (and not anybody else's), one site can't steal another's information. Limitations on how big a cookie can be (4K) and how many a particular site can send you (a maximum of 20) mean that ...
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