In this section, we will explore the Web Storage API provided by modern web browsers. This API enables websites to store data directly within the user's browser, enhancing the user experience by allowing data persistence and retrieval without server interaction. There are three main types of Web Storage APIs:
- Persistence: Data stored using Local Storage persists across browser sessions. It remains available even after the browser is closed and reopened, making it ideal for storing user preferences, theme settings, and other data that needs to be retained long-term.
- Session Limitation: Similar to Local Storage in API and functionality but limited to the duration of the browser session. Data stored in Session Storage is cleared when the tab or browser is closed. This is useful for data that should not persist beyond the current browsing session, like data in a form before submission.
- Complexity and Capabilities: A more complex solution that allows the storage of significant amounts of structured data. IndexedDB supports transactions and is capable of storing different types of data, including objects and files. This is suitable for applications that require a large amount of data to be accessible offline, such as a client-side database for a web application.
Each storage option serves different purposes and has its own set of advantages depending on the needs of the application.