In modern web applications, it is common to have forms that require repetitive data entry. To improve the user experience, we can make use of session storage in JavaScript to store and retrieve user-specific form autofill information. By doing so, the user doesn’t have to re-enter the same information repeatedly.

What is Session Storage?

Session storage is a web storage API that allows data to be stored in the browser’s storage object. Unlike local storage, session storage is available only for the duration of the user’s session and is cleared when the browser is closed or the tab is closed. This makes it an ideal option for temporarily storing user-specific data.

Storing Form Autofill Information

To store form autofill information using session storage, we can utilize the sessionStorage object in JavaScript. Here’s an example of how to store the data when the user submits the form:

// Retrieve the form data
const form = document.getElementById("myForm");
const formData = new FormData(form);

// Store the form data in session storage
for (let [key, value] of formData.entries()) {
  sessionStorage.setItem(key, value);
}

In the above code, we first retrieve the form element using its id. We then create a new FormData object and pass in the form element. This allows us to easily access the form fields and their values.

Next, we iterate over the form data using a for...of loop and use sessionStorage.setItem() to store each key-value pair in the session storage.

Retrieving Form Autofill Information

To retrieve the stored form autofill information from session storage, we can use the following code:

// Retrieve the form fields
const formFields = document.querySelectorAll("[name]");

// Autofill the form fields from session storage
formFields.forEach((field) => {
  const value = sessionStorage.getItem(field.name);
  if (value) {
    field.value = value;
  }
});

In the code above, we use document.querySelectorAll("[name]") to select all form elements that have a name attribute. We then iterate over these fields using forEach and retrieve the corresponding value from session storage using sessionStorage.getItem(). If a value is found, we set it as the field’s value.

Clearing Form Autofill Information

To clear the stored form autofill information from session storage, we can simply call the sessionStorage.clear() method:

sessionStorage.clear();

This will remove all data stored in the session storage, including the form autofill information.

Conclusion

Using session storage to store user-specific form autofill information can greatly enhance the user experience by reducing repetitive data entry. By storing and retrieving data from session storage, you can provide a more seamless and convenient user interface. Keep in mind that session storage is session-based and cleared when the user closes the browser or tab. So, it’s essential to handle the data accordingly and update it as needed.

#JavaScript #SessionStorage #FormAutofill