Is it possible to set a cookie in an iPhone Application that persists, so that later when the user is in Mobile Safari, that cookie can be sent to a webserver?
+1
A:
The documentation for NSCookieStorage suggests that it would be such a mechanism. But whether "all applications" really includes Mobile Safari or not, your experimentation will have to determine....
See also the general documentation for the URL Loading System.
Sixten Otto
2009-10-22 03:51:46
Based on my quick experiments, The cookies I was saving using NSCookieStorage were only readable by the app that created them. I'm not sure if I am doing something wrong or if that passage in the docs is misleading.
Brad Smith
2009-10-25 22:48:55
I admit I've never actually used it in my own apps, but I did see comments on the web that seemed to indicate that others had had success with it. Sorry to hear that it didn't work for you. :-(
Sixten Otto
2009-10-25 22:51:10
+8
A:
Since Apple has forced the sandboxing on all app store applications
there's currently no easy way to realize your request.
You could however open a special http://-URL from your application containing javascript to place a cookie:
NSString jsURL = @"javascript:function someFunction(){ /* your javascript code here */ } someFunction();void(0)";
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:[NSURL URLWithString: jsURL]];
Using javascript in URLs has been used by different iPhone applications to cross communicate
with MobileSafari (for example instapaper).
Another option would be to include a static HTML page in your app or on your server and instruct MobileSafari to open it.
The page in turn could set the permanent cookie.
Hope this helps!
Shirkrin
2009-10-27 16:09:37
Tried this out and it doesn't seem to work. [NSURL URLWithString:@"javascript:function someFunction(){ alert('test!'); } someFunction();void(0)"] returns nil.
Pete Hodgson
2010-07-26 21:25:46
+1
A:
I'm new at iPhone development, but wouldn't opening a UIWebView allow your server to set a cookie on the browser so then when the user visits the site with Safari the cookie would be readable to your web server? Perhaps a hidden or small UIWebView? I can't tell what the use case is from your question.
Sandro
2009-10-30 16:07:57
+2
A:
I believe this is made easy by using the ASIHTTPRequest Library. It encapsulates the use of the global cookie store.
http://allseeing-i.com/ASIHTTPRequest/How-to-use
You can make requests with this library which will accrue cookies, and then these cookies will affect other requests later.
I use this to great effect in accessing authenticated APIs within my iPhone app.
Andrew Johnson
2009-11-01 20:56:01