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Activity 40: Documentation of Python Flask Cookie

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Walter John Salibay
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Documentation of Activity 39: Python Flask Cookies

What are Cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of data stored on the user's computer by the web browser while browsing a website. They are used to remember information about the user, such as login status, preferences, and items in a shopping cart. Cookies can be set with an expiration date, allowing them to persist between sessions or expire after a set period.

Importance of Cookies:

  1. User Session Management: Cookies enable the server to remember users and their sessions, making it easier to maintain login states and preferences across different pages of a web application.

  2. Personalization: Cookies can store user preferences, allowing web applications to customize the user experience based on past interactions, such as language settings or theme choices.

  3. Tracking and Analytics: Cookies are often used for tracking user behavior on websites, which helps businesses gather data for analytics and improve their services.

  4. Performance Improvement: By storing frequently accessed data in cookies, web applications can reduce server load and improve response times.

Step-by-Step Implementation of Activity 39

Step 1: Set Up Your Flask Project

  1. Create a New Project Folder:

       mkdir nicolas_python_flask_cookies
   cd nicolas_python_flask_cookies

  2. Set Up a Virtual Environment:

       python -m venv venv
   venv\Scripts\activate  # For Windows users
   pip install Flask

  3. Create the Main Application File: Create a file named app.py and add the following code:

       from flask import Flask, request, make_response, jsonify

   app = Flask(__name__)

   @app.route('/setcookies', methods=['POST'])
   def set_cookies():
       # Get the cookie value from the POST request
       cookie_value = request.form.get('cookie_value')
       response = make_response(jsonify({"message": "Cookie has been set!"}))
       # Set the cookie
       response.set_cookie('my_cookie', cookie_value)
       return response

   @app.route('/getcookies', methods=['GET'])
   def get_cookies():
       # Retrieve the cookie from the request
       cookie_value = request.cookies.get('my_cookie')
       if cookie_value:
           return jsonify({"cookie_value": cookie_value})
       return jsonify({"message": "No cookie found!"})

   if __name__ == '__main__':
       app.run(debug=True)

Step 2: Test Your Application

  1. Run the Flask Application: Execute the following command in your terminal:

       python app.py

  2. Setting the Cookie: You can use a tool like Postman.

    Set method to POST

       http://127.0.0.1:5000/setcookies -d "cookie_value=your_cookie_value_here"

  3. Getting the Cookie: To retrieve the cookie, send a GET request:

       http://127.0.0.1:5000/getcookies

Step 3: Initialize Git and Push to GitHub

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit for Python Flask cookie implementation"
git remote add origin https://github.com/MonetForProgrammingPurposes/nicolas_python_flask_cookies.git
git branch -M master
git push -u origin master
Flask Framework