cpython/Doc/library/http.cookies.rst
2009-05-17 13:00:36 +00:00

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:mod:`http.cookies` --- HTTP state management
=============================================
.. module:: http.cookies
:synopsis: Support for HTTP state management (cookies).
.. moduleauthor:: Timothy O'Malley <timo@alum.mit.edu>
.. sectionauthor:: Moshe Zadka <moshez@zadka.site.co.il>
The :mod:`http.cookies` module defines classes for abstracting the concept of
cookies, an HTTP state management mechanism. It supports both simple string-only
cookies, and provides an abstraction for having any serializable data-type as
cookie value.
The module formerly strictly applied the parsing rules described in the
:rfc:`2109` and :rfc:`2068` specifications. It has since been discovered that
MSIE 3.0x doesn't follow the character rules outlined in those specs. As a
result, the parsing rules used are a bit less strict.
.. note::
On encountering an invalid cookie, :exc:`CookieError` is raised, so if your
cookie data comes from a browser you should always prepare for invalid data
and catch :exc:`CookieError` on parsing.
.. exception:: CookieError
Exception failing because of :rfc:`2109` invalidity: incorrect attributes,
incorrect :mailheader:`Set-Cookie` header, etc.
.. class:: BaseCookie([input])
This class is a dictionary-like object whose keys are strings and whose values
are :class:`Morsel` instances. Note that upon setting a key to a value, the
value is first converted to a :class:`Morsel` containing the key and the value.
If *input* is given, it is passed to the :meth:`load` method.
.. class:: SimpleCookie([input])
This class derives from :class:`BaseCookie` and overrides :meth:`value_decode`
and :meth:`value_encode` to be the identity and :func:`str` respectively.
.. seealso::
Module :mod:`http.cookiejar`
HTTP cookie handling for web *clients*. The :mod:`http.cookiejar` and
:mod:`http.cookies` modules do not depend on each other.
:rfc:`2109` - HTTP State Management Mechanism
This is the state management specification implemented by this module.
.. _cookie-objects:
Cookie Objects
--------------
.. method:: BaseCookie.value_decode(val)
Return a decoded value from a string representation. Return value can be any
type. This method does nothing in :class:`BaseCookie` --- it exists so it can be
overridden.
.. method:: BaseCookie.value_encode(val)
Return an encoded value. *val* can be any type, but return value must be a
string. This method does nothing in :class:`BaseCookie` --- it exists so it can
be overridden
In general, it should be the case that :meth:`value_encode` and
:meth:`value_decode` are inverses on the range of *value_decode*.
.. method:: BaseCookie.output(attrs=None, header='Set-Cookie:', sep='\\r\\n')
Return a string representation suitable to be sent as HTTP headers. *attrs* and
*header* are sent to each :class:`Morsel`'s :meth:`output` method. *sep* is used
to join the headers together, and is by default the combination ``'\r\n'``
(CRLF).
.. method:: BaseCookie.js_output(attrs=None)
Return an embeddable JavaScript snippet, which, if run on a browser which
supports JavaScript, will act the same as if the HTTP headers was sent.
The meaning for *attrs* is the same as in :meth:`output`.
.. method:: BaseCookie.load(rawdata)
If *rawdata* is a string, parse it as an ``HTTP_COOKIE`` and add the values
found there as :class:`Morsel`\ s. If it is a dictionary, it is equivalent to::
for k, v in rawdata.items():
cookie[k] = v
.. _morsel-objects:
Morsel Objects
--------------
.. class:: Morsel
Abstract a key/value pair, which has some :rfc:`2109` attributes.
Morsels are dictionary-like objects, whose set of keys is constant --- the valid
:rfc:`2109` attributes, which are
* ``expires``
* ``path``
* ``comment``
* ``domain``
* ``max-age``
* ``secure``
* ``version``
* ``httponly``
The attribute :attr:`httponly` specifies that the cookie is only transfered
in HTTP requests, and is not accessible through JavaScript. This is intended
to mitigate some forms of cross-site scripting.
The keys are case-insensitive.
.. attribute:: Morsel.value
The value of the cookie.
.. attribute:: Morsel.coded_value
The encoded value of the cookie --- this is what should be sent.
.. attribute:: Morsel.key
The name of the cookie.
.. method:: Morsel.set(key, value, coded_value)
Set the *key*, *value* and *coded_value* members.
.. method:: Morsel.isReservedKey(K)
Whether *K* is a member of the set of keys of a :class:`Morsel`.
.. method:: Morsel.output(attrs=None, header='Set-Cookie:')
Return a string representation of the Morsel, suitable to be sent as an HTTP
header. By default, all the attributes are included, unless *attrs* is given, in
which case it should be a list of attributes to use. *header* is by default
``"Set-Cookie:"``.
.. method:: Morsel.js_output(attrs=None)
Return an embeddable JavaScript snippet, which, if run on a browser which
supports JavaScript, will act the same as if the HTTP header was sent.
The meaning for *attrs* is the same as in :meth:`output`.
.. method:: Morsel.OutputString(attrs=None)
Return a string representing the Morsel, without any surrounding HTTP or
JavaScript.
The meaning for *attrs* is the same as in :meth:`output`.
.. _cookie-example:
Example
-------
The following example demonstrates how to use the :mod:`http.cookies` module.
.. doctest::
:options: +NORMALIZE_WHITESPACE
>>> from http import cookies
>>> C = cookies.SimpleCookie()
>>> C["fig"] = "newton"
>>> C["sugar"] = "wafer"
>>> print(C) # generate HTTP headers
Set-Cookie: fig=newton
Set-Cookie: sugar=wafer
>>> print(C.output()) # same thing
Set-Cookie: fig=newton
Set-Cookie: sugar=wafer
>>> C = cookies.SimpleCookie()
>>> C["rocky"] = "road"
>>> C["rocky"]["path"] = "/cookie"
>>> print(C.output(header="Cookie:"))
Cookie: rocky=road; Path=/cookie
>>> print(C.output(attrs=[], header="Cookie:"))
Cookie: rocky=road
>>> C = cookies.SimpleCookie()
>>> C.load("chips=ahoy; vienna=finger") # load from a string (HTTP header)
>>> print(C)
Set-Cookie: chips=ahoy
Set-Cookie: vienna=finger
>>> C = cookies.SimpleCookie()
>>> C.load('keebler="E=everybody; L=\\"Loves\\"; fudge=\\012;";')
>>> print(C)
Set-Cookie: keebler="E=everybody; L=\"Loves\"; fudge=\012;"
>>> C = cookies.SimpleCookie()
>>> C["oreo"] = "doublestuff"
>>> C["oreo"]["path"] = "/"
>>> print(C)
Set-Cookie: oreo=doublestuff; Path=/
>>> C = cookies.SimpleCookie()
>>> C["twix"] = "none for you"
>>> C["twix"].value
'none for you'
>>> C = cookies.SimpleCookie()
>>> C["number"] = 7 # equivalent to C["number"] = str(7)
>>> C["string"] = "seven"
>>> C["number"].value
'7'
>>> C["string"].value
'seven'
>>> print(C)
Set-Cookie: number=7
Set-Cookie: string=seven