RefTracker client interface cookie
Where the browser of a client using the RefTracker client interface allows persistent cookies to be created, RefTracker will create an encrypted persistent cookie called RefTrackerPreferences that holds information about that client session such as the client’s preferred Language, and a unique session number, and possibly client contact details.
RefTracker also uses a session cookie as part of it important defenses against spammers.
Both persistent cookies and session cookies are commonly used techniques that are allowed by most browser cookie controls unless cookies are totally disallowed.
When the first page of any client interface session is loaded RefTracker tries to write a test persistent cookie and then tries to read that cookie, and it also checks to see if session cookies are allowed. None of this is visible to the client.
If it is determined that session cookies are not allowed, a page similar to the following screen print will display. If the session cookies are not allowed because they are occurring within an iframe, clicking the link provided in that page will resolve the problem by allowing the page to be displayed in a separate browser page or tab. The page also suggests that if that does not resolve the problem, the user will need to use a different browser or all cookies.
If it is determined that a persistent cookie can be read, one will be created. The system is not reliant on this cookie being available and so, the client interface will work for clients whose browsers do not allow cookies – it will just present without cookie reliant features like “Remember me on this computer”.
If the cookie is saved, it always saves the client’s preferred Language from the last session and ensures that RefTracker presents using that same language at any future session. The cookie also holds a flag indicating whether the client has agreed to the Remember me question so they aren’t asked again, and the client contact details (encrypted) that they provided the last time “Remember me” was active when they used a form for your RefTracker system.
Users without cookies enabled will still be able to use the RefTracker client functions, however they will not be offered any of the functionality associated with this cookie.
Whether this cookie is deleted when a client deletes their browser history is dependent on the features of the browser in user. For example it is deleted by FF, but not be IE.
Your System administrator can determine that client contact details will not be saved, will always be saved in the cookie, or that client contact details will only be saved if the client ticks a “Remember me on this computer” tick box at the end of the form (Parameter 6.9).
The cookie is applicable to Request forms for your instance of RefTracker only. It cannot be used by any other application or any other RefTracker system.
The client cookie will save the last used values that the client provided while “Remember me” was active, for any of the following fields. This means that the client data will accumulate as the client uses more of these fields in various forms. Note that the cookie is encrypted, so all the data is safely stored:
- Address Line 1
- Address Line 2
- City
- Country
- Client email
- Client fax #
- Client language
- Client location
- Client mobile #
- Client name
- Client name 2
- Client phone #
- Skype name
- Patron #
- Personal title
- Post/Zip code
- Region
- Response method
- Plus any user defined client table fields in your system’s Data dictionary
When a Request form is displayed, it gets its default values in the following way. Once a default value has been determined it will not be changed by any values detected by later steps in the process:- from any parameters specified in URL query string used to display the form- any values provided by a Dynamic lookup pre-population- any global defaults specified by the code used to build the form- any default specified in the design of the Request form- and finally, any values saved by the Remember me function in the client cookie.