javax.servlet.http
Class Cookie

java.lang.Object
  |
  +--javax.servlet.http.Cookie
public class Cookie
extends java.lang.Object
implements java.lang.Cloneable

A cookie is basically a {String,String} name/value pair that the server tells the client to remember and to send back to him attached to every future request.
Using cookies a server can maintain a state in between client requests.

A formal specification of Cookies can be found in RFC 2109 ("HTTP State Management Mechanism")

Since:
Servlet API 2.0
Version:
Servlet API 2.1

Constructor Summary
Cookie(java.lang.String name, java.lang.String value)
          Creates a cookie with a name and a value.
 
Method Summary
 java.lang.Object clone()
          Clones the Cookie.
 java.lang.String getComment()
          Gets the comment of the cookie
 java.lang.String getDomain()
          Gets this cookie's domain
 int getMaxAge()
          Gets the time-to-live for this cookie, in seconds.
If it is 0 then the client will delete the cookie.
If it is -1 (which is the default) then the cookie will be a non-persistent cookie.
This means that the cookie will live as long as the http client lives, and will not be saved to disk.
 java.lang.String getName()
          Get the name
 java.lang.String getPath()
          Gets the path for which requests this cookie will be attached.
 boolean getSecure()
          Whether only secure means (https) should be used when sending this cookie to a server.
 java.lang.String getValue()
          Gets the value
 int getVersion()
          Gets the version of this cookie.
 void setComment(java.lang.String comment)
          Sets the comment of the cookie.
 void setDomain(java.lang.String domain)
          Sets the domain for which this Cookie will be used.
 void setMaxAge(int maxAge)
          Sets the maximum lifetime of the cookie in seconds.
If set to 0 then the cookie will be deleted by the client.
If set to a negative value (such as -1 which is the default) then the cookie will be a non-persistent cookie.
This means that the cookie will live as long as the http client lives, and will not be saved to disk.
 void setPath(java.lang.String path)
          Set the path with which requests this cookie will be sent back to the server.
 void setSecure(boolean secure)
          Whether only secure means (https) should be used when sending this cookie to a server.
 void setValue(java.lang.String value)
          Sets a new value.
 void setVersion(int version)
          Sets the version.
 
Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait
 

Constructor Detail

Cookie

public Cookie(java.lang.String name,
              java.lang.String value)
       throws java.lang.IllegalArgumentException
Creates a cookie with a name and a value. The name must be a valid HTTP/1.1 token and not start with $.
Parameters:
name - The name of the cookie
value - The value of the cookie
Throws:
java.lang.IllegalArgumentException - if name is not a valid HTTP/1.1 token or starts with $
Since:
Servlet API 2.0
Method Detail

getComment

public java.lang.String getComment()
Gets the comment of the cookie
Returns:
the comment or null if not defined
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

getDomain

public java.lang.String getDomain()
Gets this cookie's domain
Returns:
The domain for which this cookie will be used or null if not defined
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

getMaxAge

public int getMaxAge()
Gets the time-to-live for this cookie, in seconds.
If it is 0 then the client will delete the cookie.
If it is -1 (which is the default) then the cookie will be a non-persistent cookie.
This means that the cookie will live as long as the http client lives, and will not be saved to disk.
Returns:
the number of seconds to live or -1
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

getName

public java.lang.String getName()
Get the name
Returns:
the Name
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

getPath

public java.lang.String getPath()
Gets the path for which requests this cookie will be attached. The domain/path pair determines with which requests the cookie will be sent to the server.
Example:
When a client receives a Cookie on requesting "/products/" then the path will be "/products/", and this Cookie will be attached to every request for "/products/" and any of its subdirectories.
Returns:
the path or null if not defined
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

getSecure

public boolean getSecure()
Whether only secure means (https) should be used when sending this cookie to a server.
Returns:
whether this cookie should be secure or not
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

getValue

public java.lang.String getValue()
Gets the value
Returns:
the Value
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

getVersion

public int getVersion()
Gets the version of this cookie. The current type of cookies have version = 1, according to rfc2109. There have been slightly different (netscape only) types of cookies, but these days everyone uses version 1. Fresh cookies however get a default version of 0, to improve interoperability.
Returns:
the version
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

setComment

public void setComment(java.lang.String comment)
Sets the comment of the cookie. Not supported by version 0 cookies.
Parameters:
comment - the comment to be
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

setDomain

public void setDomain(java.lang.String domain)
Sets the domain for which this Cookie will be used. If the domain is for instance set to .foo_bar.com then the client sends the cookie along with requests to all webservers whose domain ends with ".foo_bar.com" (www.foo_bar.com, blah.foo_bar.com, etc). If not set cookies are only returned to the domain from which the client received the cookie.
Parameters:
domain - The cookie's domain
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

setMaxAge

public void setMaxAge(int maxAge)
Sets the maximum lifetime of the cookie in seconds.
If set to 0 then the cookie will be deleted by the client.
If set to a negative value (such as -1 which is the default) then the cookie will be a non-persistent cookie.
This means that the cookie will live as long as the http client lives, and will not be saved to disk.
Parameters:
maxAge - The time-to-live for the cookie, in seconds
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

setPath

public void setPath(java.lang.String path)
Set the path with which requests this cookie will be sent back to the server. The domain/path pair determines with which requests the cookie will be sent to the server.
Defaults to path the client requested when it got this cookie.
Example:
When a client receives a Cookie on requesting "/products/" then the path will be "/products/", and this Cookie will be attached to every request for "/products/" and any of its subdirectories.
Parameters:
path - the path
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

setSecure

public void setSecure(boolean secure)
Whether only secure means (https) should be used when sending this cookie to a server.
Parameters:
secure - whether this cookie should be secure or not.
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

setValue

public void setValue(java.lang.String value)
Sets a new value.
Parameters:
value - The new value
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

setVersion

public void setVersion(int version)
Sets the version. The current type of cookies have version = 1, according to rfc2109. There have been slightly different (netscape only) types of cookies, but these days everyone uses version 1.
Parameters:
version - the version
Since:
Servlet API 2.0

clone

public java.lang.Object clone()
Clones the Cookie.
Overrides:
clone in class java.lang.Object