Question

I am using jquery cookies plugin, in order to increment the value of the cookie each time a user comes to a page. I am doing this so I can display something on the first visit, then something different on the second visit and then nothing after that.

So i need to determine if its the user’s first visit, their second visit and all visits after.

var cookieTime = jQuery.cookie('shownDialog');
cookie_value = parseInt(cookieTime);

if (cookieTime != 'true') {         
    jQuery.cookie('shownDialog', '1', 'true', {expires: 7});
    cookie_value ++;
}

else if (cookieTime == 'true' && cookie_value > 0){
    cookie_value ++;
}

This code i’ve been using gets reset every time i refresh the page. Instead of holding the value inside the cookie. I am not sure the best way of retaining the value of the cookie and incrementing it each time as the page gets refreshed?

Answer 1

I don’t think

jQuery.cookie('shownDialog', '1', 'true', {expires: 7});

is the valid form. It’s supposed to be

jQuery.cookie(cookiename, cookieval, extra);

Source: https://github.com/carhartl/jquery-cookie

If you want to check if the cookie is set, check if it’s null.

// Check if the cookie exists.
if (jQuery.cookie('shownDialog') == null) {
    // If the cookie doesn't exist, save the cookie with the value of 1
    jQuery.cookie('shownDialog', '1', {expires: 7});
} else {
    // If the cookie exists, take the value
    var cookie_value = jQuery.cookie('shownDialog');
    // Convert the value to an int to make sure
    cookie_value = parseInt(cookie_value);
    // Add 1 to the cookie_value
    cookie_value++;

    // Or make a pretty one liner
    // cookie_value = parseInt(jQuery.cookie('shownDialog')) + 1;

    // Save the incremented value to the cookie
    jQuery.cookie('shownDialog', cookie_value, {expires: 7});
}