myHotTake

Tag: digital gardening

  • How Does JavaScript Grow Cookies into User Experiences?

    Hey there! If you enjoy whimsical analogies and tales of digital gardening, give this a like or share it with your fellow tech enthusiasts.


    I’m a gardener, and my garden is a website. In this digital Eden, I plant seeds of kindness—cookies, if you will—each time someone visits. These little seeds are tiny text files that carry wonderful snippets of information, like a visitor’s preferences or what they might have left in their shopping cart.

    Now, I don’t just plant these seeds haphazardly. I carefully place them in the visitor’s browser soil, where they quietly wait. These seeds don’t just sprout immediately but lie dormant, ready to spring to life the next time the visitor returns to my garden. When they do, these seeds of kindness bloom into beautiful, familiar experiences. It’s as if the garden remembers their favorite path or the bench where they last sat.

    As a gardener, I marvel at how these cookies allow me to cultivate a personalized visit. My visitors feel welcome, knowing that their preferences are remembered and that their journey through my garden is as delightful as the last. I watch as each seed grows into a unique experience, nurturing a bond between the visitor and my digital sanctuary.

    And so, in this world of web development, I sprinkle cookies like seeds of kindness, each one a promise of a warm welcome and a familiar path. It’s a process, watching them grow and transform a simple visit into a cherished experience.


    I’m using JavaScript to plant a new seed:

    // Planting a seed
    document.cookie = "visitorName=John Doe; expires=Fri, 31 Dec 2023 23:59:59 GMT; path=/";

    Here, I’ve planted a seed that remembers a visitor’s name, set to mature by the end of 2023, ensuring they always find a personalized welcome whenever they return to my garden path.

    Next, I use JavaScript to check on my growing seeds:

    // Checking on the seeds
    function getCookie(name) {
        let cookieArr = document.cookie.split(";");
    
        for(let i = 0; i < cookieArr.length; i++) {
            let cookiePair = cookieArr[i].split("=");
            if(name === cookiePair[0].trim()) {
                return decodeURIComponent(cookiePair[1]);
            }
        }
        return null;
    }
    
    let visitorName = getCookie("visitorName");
    if (visitorName) {
        console.log(`Welcome back, ${visitorName}!`);
    }

    This snippet allows me to gently uncover which seeds have sprouted, greeting my returning visitors by name. JavaScript helps me ensure that my garden always recognizes its cherished guests.

    Finally, when a season ends, I might need to prune my garden:

    // Pruning old seeds
    document.cookie = "visitorName=; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT; path=/";

    With this, I remove a seed that has fulfilled its purpose, making room for new growth and experiences.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Cookies as Seeds: In the world of web development, cookies serve as seeds that carry essential data to personalize user experiences.
    • JavaScript as a Tool: JavaScript is the versatile tool that allows us to plant, check, and prune these seeds efficiently.
    • Personalization and Management: With JavaScript, we can create a dynamic, personalized web environment, improving user interaction and satisfaction.