How to store persistent data client side

Question

I need to programmatically store data on the client side without having to transfer the data from the server on every page load. I considered generating a dynamic JavaScript file with the needed data for the current session of the user and make sure it is cached, but that seems really messy and there are a few drawbacks I can think of to such an approach.

How can I go about storing persistent data on the client side?

Answer 1

You may store data in window.name, which can hold up to 2MB of data (!).

/* on page 1 */
window.name = "Bla bla bla";

/* on page 2 */
alert(window.name); // alerts "Bla bla bla"

Edit: Also have a look at this Ajaxian article regarding this.

Note that other sites in the same tab/window does also have access to window.name, so you shouldn't store anything confidential here.