setting a cookie in jsp

[Ricky James]

Hi,

I am trying an exercise on setting cookies. This exercise goes like
this:

"Create a sample home page that accepts a person's name, and birthday
using textfields (use text fields for the name, birth month and birth
day ) and stores that info using a cookie that lasts a year.
Then use the Date and Calendar classes to display a greeting to the
person on his birthday."

I have written the first page that stores the cookies. The relevant
code from this JSP page is as follows -

<H1>What is your Birthday?</H1>

<%
String name = request.getParameter("name");
String month = request.getParameter("month");
String day = request.getParameter("day");

Cookie nameCookie = new Cookie("nameCookie", name);
Cookie monthCookie = new Cookie("monthCookie", month);
Cookie dayCookie = new Cookie("dayCookie", day);

nameCookie.setMaxAge(60*60*24*365);
monthCookie.setMaxAge(60*60*24*365);
dayCookie.setMaxAge(60*60*24*365);

response.addCookie(nameCookie);
response.addCookie(monthCookie);
response.addCookie(dayCookie);
%>

<FORM>
Enter Name: <INPUT TYPE="TEXT" NAME="name">
<br>
Enter month of birth: <INPUT TYPE="TEXT" NAME="month">
<br>
Enter date of birth: <INPUT TYPE="TEXT" NAME="day">
<br>
<INPUT TYPE="SUBMIT" VALUE="Submit">
</FORM>

I have a few questions regarding this code.

1. Is it possible to set 1 cookie instead of 3 cookies as I have done?
2. How should I code the submit button so that it stores the cookie?
Should I give the address of the second page in the ACTION which
confirms submission?
3. What is the ideal approach for this exercise? Right now I am thinking that I am supposed to write 2 pages. One that sets the cookie and then another one that has the logic that check whether there is a cookie with the relevant name and if so then check the value and displays a message if the user's birthday is on that day. Am I right?

Shall be really thankful for advice and guidance.

Ros