Simplifying JavaScript

Tip 46

Maintain State Over Time with LocalStorage

In this tip, you’ll learn how to save user data with localStorage.

Users love to personalize applications. Conversely, they hate entering the same data every time they visit an app or a page. When you’re working with front-end JavaScript, you’re in a bit of a bind. How do you preserve user data with minimal interference?

An obvious solution is to create a login. The problem is that many users will abandon a site if they’re forced to log in. A better, albeit imperfect, solution is to store data locally. When you save data locally, you can preserve information on a particular browser on a particular device.

Of course, everyone uses multiple devices. So saving data to a browser won’t ...