In Rails, the primary purpose of session is to a. store data when one page redirects to another b. remember what a user does until they navigate away from a web page c. store data that persists between requests d. temporarily pass primitive types between actions
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is c. store data that persists between requests.
Explanation:
In Ruby on Rails, the session[] is used to store data on the server side that needs to be accessible across multiple HTTP requests from the same user. HTTP itself is a stateless protocol, meaning each request is independent and does not retain any information about previous interactions. The session object solves this by maintaining state between requests.
When a user interacts with a Rails application, data stored in session[] can include things like user login status, user preferences, or shopping cart contents. This data persists from one request to the next until the session expires or is cleared, allowing the application to remember information about the user as they navigate through different pages.
For example, after a user logs in, their user ID is often stored in the session to identify them on subsequent requests without requiring them to log in again. This persistence between requests is crucial for user authentication and personalized experiences.
The session typically uses cookies to keep track of which session belongs to which user, but the actual data is stored on the server or encrypted within the cookie, depending on the session store configuration. This allows the server to link each request to the correct session data securely.
Option a (store data when one page redirects to another) is incorrect because session data is not limited to just redirects—it persists through all requests. Option b (remember what a user does until they navigate away from a web page) is inaccurate because the session lasts beyond a single page view, not just while on one page. Option d (temporarily pass primitive types between actions) is too limited since session can store more than primitive types and is not just for temporary passing but for persistent storage across requests.
Thus, the main role of session[] is to hold data that lasts between multiple requests during a user’s session on the website.