Adobe ColdFusion 8 Web Application Construction Kit, Volume 1: Getting Started

What Are Session Variables?

Session variables are similar to client variables in that they are stored on the server rather than in the browser’s memory. Unlike client variables, however, session variables persist only for a user’s current session. Later you’ll learn exactly how a session is defined, but for now, think of it as synonymous with a user’s visit to your site. So session variables should be seen as per-visit variables, whereas client variables are per-user variables intended to persist between each user’s visits.

Session variables aren’t stored physically in a database or the server’s Registry. Instead, they are stored in the server’s RAM. This makes sense, considering that they are intended to persist for only a short time. Also, ...