Jwt, Cookies & Sessions
JWT (JSON Web Token), cookies, and sessions are all techniques used in web applications for authentication and session management. Here's a brief explanation of each:
JWT (JSON Web Token): JWT is an open standard (RFC 7519) that defines a compact and self-contained way for securely transmitting information between parties as a JSON object. It consists of three parts: a header, a payload, and a signature. JWTs are commonly used for authentication and authorization purposes. When a user logs in successfully, the server generates a JWT and sends it back to the client. The client includes the JWT in subsequent requests to authenticate itself to the server. The server verifies the integrity of the token using the signature and extracts the relevant information from the payload.
Cookies: Cookies are small pieces of data that are stored on the client's browser by websites. They are sent along with every HTTP request to the same domain that set the cookie. Cookies are commonly used for session management. When a user logs in, the server sets a session cookie in the client's browser, which contains a session ID or other relevant information. The client sends the session cookie with each subsequent request, allowing the server to identify the user and maintain their session state.
Session: A session is a way to store user-specific data on the server-side between requests. When a user logs in, the server creates a session and assigns it a unique identifier (session ID). The session ID is usually stored in a cookie, which is sent back to the client. The server stores the session data on the server-side, typically in memory or a database, associated with the session ID. With each subsequent request, the client sends the session ID in the cookie, allowing the server to retrieve the corresponding session data and maintain the user's session state.
While JWTs are self-contained and carry all the necessary information, cookies and sessions require server-side storage and management. JWTs are typically used in stateless architectures, where the server doesn't need to maintain session-specific data. On the other hand, cookies and sessions are commonly used in stateful architectures, where the server needs to keep track of user-specific information.
It's worth noting that JWTs can also be stored in cookies for convenience or other data storage mechanisms like local storage, but the basic principles of JWTs and cookies remain distinct.