sheriecarter / cookie-monster-app Goto Github PK

In this lab we will explore cookies and sessions in rails. First we'll play with manually setting cookies on the front-end. Then we'll explore how cookies are used to create "sessions" that keep track of user data on the server-side.

Clone this repo, bundle, and run the server.

cd cookie_monster_app
bundle
rails s

Note: This rails application does not use a database or turbolinks.

To begin, visit http://localhost:3000/desserts in your browser, with the Chrome Console open.

1. Use the Chrome Console to manually set a cookie for the website to: fav_color=blue. When you refresh the page, a script running on the page will detect the color and apply it to the background of the page.
2. Manually add a second cookie (can_access=yes) so that you can access the 3 desserts#show pages (/desserts/1, /desserts/2, /desserts/3).

• The server is actually checking for this cookie in the HTTP Request Headers (see the desserts#show controller). Without this cookie, you will be blocked (redirected) from viewing all dessert pages!

3. When a user clicks "Save as Favorite" on a desserts#show page, store the dessert id in the user's session. (See app/controllers/desserts_controller.rb)
4. Modify the desserts#show view to indicate whether the dessert shown is the user's favorite dessert (See app/controllers/desserts_controller.rb and app/views/desserts/show.html.erb).

• How would you compare the current_dessert to the user's favorite dessert? Can you use this comparison to create a "conditional view"?

5. Stretch: Can you DRY up the controller code by using a before_action to check whether the user is logged in?

Pay special attention to Resources > Cookies > localhost in the Developer Console. The Cookies-view allows you to browse and delete cookies associated with the current domain.

What's the difference between a cookie and a session?

By the end of this lab you should be able to explain how and why these cookies are present in your browser:

• Cookies, Sessions, & Flash Messages
• Rails Guides: Securing Sessions
• Flash Messages