Title: Internet Or Web Dev
spooky - November 22, 2009 01:09 AM (GMT)
Session (computer science)Hypertext Transfer ProtocolHTTP session state
HTTP is a stateless protocol. The advantage of a stateless protocol is that hosts do not need to retain information about users between requests, but this forces web developers to use alternative methods for maintaining users' states.
For example, when a host needs to customize the content of a website for a user, the web application must be written to track the user's progress from page to page. A common method for solving this problem involves sending and receiving cookies. Other methods include server side sessions, hidden variables (when the current page is a form), and URL encoded parameters (such as /index.php?session_id=some_unique_session_code).
