Using session storage for storing user progress in a web application

21 Sep 2023

In web applications, it is common to need a way to persist user progress across multiple pages or when the user refreshes the page. One way to achieve this is by utilizing session storage, which allows you to store data specific to a user’s session and access it across different pages within the same browser window or tab.

Session storage is a part of the Web Storage API, which provides two mechanisms for storing data on the client-side: session storage and local storage. The key difference between the two is that session storage is cleared when the user closes the browser window or tab, while local storage persists even after the browser is closed.

Using Session Storage in JavaScript

To use session storage, you can access the sessionStorage object in JavaScript. Here’s how you can store and retrieve user progress using session storage:

Storing User Progress:
```
sessionStorage.setItem('progress', '50%');
```
In this example, we are storing the progress value of “50%” under the key “progress” in the session storage.
Retrieving User Progress:
```
const progress = sessionStorage.getItem('progress');
if (progress) {
  console.log(`User progress: ${progress}`);
} else {
  console.log('No progress found');
}
```
This code snippet retrieves the stored progress value using the key “progress”. It checks if the progress exists and then logs the progress value to the console. If no progress is found, it logs a message stating that no progress was found.
Removing User Progress:
```
sessionStorage.removeItem('progress');
```
To remove the progress from session storage, you can use the removeItem method and specify the key of the progress item you want to remove.

Benefits and Considerations

Session storage provides a simple and efficient way to store and retrieve user progress within a web application. Some benefits and considerations are:

Easy to Use: The session storage API is straightforward and easy to implement with just a few lines of code.
Scoped to Session: Session storage allows you to store data specific to a user’s session, ensuring that the progress is only available within the same browser window or tab.
Limited Storage: Session storage has a limited capacity compared to local storage, usually ranging from 5MB-10MB depending on the browser.
Data Loss on Window Close: Remember that session storage is cleared when the user closes the browser window or tab, so the progress will be lost. If you need persistence beyond a session, consider using local storage or server-side storage solutions.

Conclusion

Using session storage to store user progress in a web application provides a convenient way to persist data during a user’s session. By utilizing the session storage API, you can easily store and retrieve user progress across different pages. However, it’s important to consider the limitations and ensure that session storage aligns with your application’s requirements.