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Cookies were introduced by Netscape to preserve client side state
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If you have a CGI script that services several clients (ordering T Shirts perhaps), it is neatest to use client and not server to store information such as name of user, passwords etc.
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Traditionally saved state in forms for a session preserved using "hidden" fields
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<INPUT type=hidden" name="username" value="" >
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set by formname.username.value = WHATHAVEYOU;
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Such hidden fields are passed to CGI scripts in same fashion as other variables set in form text fields
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hidden values can either by set by JavaScript on client side or returned built into a page constructed by CGI script which might read N values and return a new form with M new fields for client to fill in and N old entries preserved in hidden fields
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So hidden variables are nice but only preserved as long as you keep to page you started with or that returned by CGI script.
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