universal-cookie

What is universal-cookie?

The universal-cookie npm package is a JavaScript library for managing cookies in both browser and Node.js environments. It provides a simple and universal API to handle cookies, making it easier to work with cookies across server-side and client-side without changing the codebase.

What are universal-cookie's main functionalities?

Get a cookie

This feature allows you to retrieve the value of a cookie by its name. It's useful for accessing user preferences or session data stored in cookies.

const cookies = new UniversalCookie();
const myCookie = cookies.get('myCookieName');

Set a cookie

This feature enables you to create a new cookie or update an existing one with a value, path, and maximum age. It's commonly used for storing user preferences or session tokens.

const cookies = new UniversalCookie();
cookies.set('myCookieName', 'myCookieValue', { path: '/', maxAge: 3600 });

Remove a cookie

This feature allows you to delete a cookie from the browser. It's useful for logging out users or clearing session data.

const cookies = new UniversalCookie();
cookies.remove('myCookieName', { path: '/' });

Other packages similar to universal-cookie

js-cookie

js-cookie is a simple, lightweight JavaScript API for handling cookies. It provides a straightforward way to create, read, and delete cookies on the client-side. Compared to universal-cookie, js-cookie is specifically designed for browser environments and does not support server-side rendering.

cookie

cookie is a Node.js module for parsing and serializing cookies. It's designed for server-side use, allowing for easy manipulation of HTTP cookies in Node.js applications. Unlike universal-cookie, cookie does not provide a unified API for both client and server environments.

cookies

cookies is a Node.js and browser module that provides a higher-level API for managing cookies in both environments. It offers features similar to universal-cookie but with additional options for security, such as automatic signing of cookies. It's a good alternative for applications requiring enhanced security measures.

README

universal-cookie

Universal cookies for JavaScript

Integrations

• react-cookie - Universal cookies for React
• universal-cookie-express - Hook cookies get/set on Express for server-rendering

Getting started

npm install universal-cookie

or in the browser (global variable UniversalCookie):

<script
  crossorigin
  src="https://unpkg.com/universal-cookie@6/umd/universalCookie.min.js"
></script>

API - Cookies class

constructor([cookieHeader], [defaultSetOptions])

Create a cookies context

• cookieHeader (string|object): specify the cookie header or object
• defaultSetOptions (object): specify the default options when setting cookies
  • path (string): cookie path, use / as the path if you want your cookie to be accessible on all pages
  • expires (Date): absolute expiration date for the cookie
  • maxAge (number): relative max age of the cookie from when the client receives it in seconds
  • domain (string): domain for the cookie (sub.domain.com or .allsubdomains.com)
  • secure (boolean): Is only accessible through HTTPS?
  • httpOnly (boolean): Is only the server can access the cookie? Note: You cannot get or set httpOnly cookies from the browser, only the server.
  • sameSite (boolean|none|lax|strict): Strict or Lax enforcement

get(name, [options])

Get a cookie value

• name (string): cookie name
• options (object):
  • doNotParse (boolean): do not convert the cookie into an object no matter what

getAll([options])

Get all cookies

• options (object):
  • doNotParse (boolean): do not convert the cookie into an object no matter what

set(name, value, [options])

Set a cookie value

• name (string): cookie name
• value (string|object): save the value and stringify the object if needed
• options (object): Support all the cookie options from RFC 6265
  • path (string): cookie path, use / as the path if you want your cookie to be accessible on all pages
  • expires (Date): absolute expiration date for the cookie
  • maxAge (number): relative max age of the cookie from when the client receives it in seconds
  • domain (string): domain for the cookie (sub.domain.com or .allsubdomains.com)
  • secure (boolean): Is only accessible through HTTPS?
  • httpOnly (boolean): Is only the server can access the cookie? Note: You cannot get or set httpOnly cookies from the browser, only the server.
  • sameSite (boolean|none|lax|strict): Strict or Lax enforcement

remove(name, [options])

Remove a cookie

• name (string): cookie name
• options (object): Support all the cookie options from RFC 6265
  • path (string): cookie path, use / as the path if you want your cookie to be accessible on all pages
  • expires (Date): absolute expiration date for the cookie
  • maxAge (number): relative max age of the cookie from when the client receives it in seconds
  • domain (string): domain for the cookie (sub.domain.com or .allsubdomains.com)
  • secure (boolean): Is only accessible through HTTPS?
  • httpOnly (boolean): Is only the server can access the cookie? Note: You cannot get or set httpOnly cookies from the browser, only the server.
  • sameSite (boolean|none|lax|strict): Strict or Lax enforcement

addChangeListener(callback)

Add a listener to when a cookie is set or removed.

• callback (function): Call that will be called with the first argument containing name, value and options of the changed cookie.

removeChangeListener(callback)

Remove a listener from the change callback.

update()

Read back the cookies from the browser and triggers the change listeners. This should normally not be necessary because this library detects cookie changes automatically.

Browser Example

import Cookies from 'universal-cookie';

const cookies = new Cookies(null, { path: '/' });

cookies.set('myCat', 'Pacman');
console.log(cookies.get('myCat')); // Pacman

Server Example

import Cookies from 'universal-cookie';

const cookies = new Cookies(req.headers.cookie, { path: '/' });

console.log(cookies.get('myCat')); // Pacman or undefined if not set yet