Golf and Cookies: Using HAProxy to Manage User Data Like a Pro

Want to learn how to use cookies in your Golf applications? This guide will show you how to implement cookies for a better user experience and how to pair it with HAProxy. We'll cover a simple example of setting and retrieving a cookie and showcase how HAProxy can be used as a web server or load balancer in conjunction with Golf.

Why Cookies Matter for Your Golf App

Cookies are small text files stored on a user's device by a website. They are essential for:

• Remembering User Preferences: Cookies allow your application to recall user-specific settings.
• Maintaining Session State: They keep track of a user's login status and activity across different pages
• Personalized Experiences: Cookies enable targeted content and advertising based on user behavior.

Set Up Your Cookie-Based Golf App

Let's create a basic Golf application to demonstrate how cookies work. This application will allow users to enter their name, store it in a cookie, and then retrieve it later.

1. Create a New Directory: Start by making a new directory for our "yum" application (because cookies are delicious!).

   gg -k yum
   

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2. Create the Biscuit.golf Source Code: This code handles the logic for setting and retrieving the cookie.

   begin-handler /biscuit
   get-param action
   if-true action equal "enter-cookie"
   // Display a form to get cookie value
   @<h2>Enter your name</h2>
   @<form action="<<p-path "/biscuit">>" method="POST">
   @ <input type="hidden" name="action" value="save-cookie">
   @ <label for="cookie-value">Your name:</label><br/>
   @ <input type="text" name="cookie-value" value=""><br/>
   @ <br/>
   @ <input type="submit" value="Submit">
   @</form>
   else-if action equal "save-cookie"
   // Submittal of form: save the cookie through response to the browser
   get-param cookie_value
   get-time to cookie_expiration year 1 timezone "GMT"
   set-cookie "customer-name" = cookie_value expires cookie_expiration path "/"
   @Cookie sent to browser!
   @<hr/>
   else-if action equal "query-cookie"
   // Web request that delivers cookie value back here (to server); display it.
   get-cookie name="customer-name"
   @Customer name is <<p-web name>>
   @<hr/>
   else-if
   @Unrecognized action<hr/>
   end-if
   end-handler
   

This code defines different actions based on the "action" URL parameter:

• enter-cookie: Displays a form for the user to enter their name.
• save-cookie: Saves the entered name as a cookie named "customer-name" with a one-year expiration.
• query-cookie: Retrieves and displays the value of the "customer-name" cookie.

Compile and Run Your Golf Application

1. Compile the Application: Make sure all request handlers are public

   gg -q --public
   

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2. Start the Golf Server: Run the application on port 3000.

   mgrg -p 3000 yum
   

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Using HAProxy as a Web Server for Your Golf Application

Now, let's configure HAProxy to route requests to our Golf application. This allows us to leverage HAProxy's features like load balancing and security.

1. Configure HAProxy: Modify your HAProxy configuration file (typically /etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg).

   frontend front_server
     mode http
     bind *:90
     use_backend backend_servers if { path_reg -i ^.*\/yum\/.*$ }
     option forwardfor
     fcgi-app golf-fcgi
     log-stderr global
     docroot /var/lib/gg/yum/app
     path-info ^.+(/yum)(/.+)$
   
   backend backend_servers
     mode http
     filter fcgi-app golf-fcgi
     use-fcgi-app golf-fcgi
     server s1 127.0.0.1:3000 proto fcgi
   

   • This configuration listens on port 90 and forwards requests starting with /yum/ to our Golf application.
   • It also specifies the use of FastCGI protocol for communication with Golf.

2. Restart HAProxy: Apply the changes by restarting the HAProxy service.

   sudo systemctl restart haproxy
   

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Test Your Setup

Open your web browser and navigate to:

http://127.0.0.1:90/yum/biscuit/action=enter-cookie

You should see the form to enter your name. After submitting the form, you can retrieve the cookie value by visiting:

http://127.0.0.1:90/yum/biscuit/action=query-cookie

Beyond the Basics: Enhancing Your Golf App with Cookies and HAProxy

This example provides a foundation for using cookies in Golf and integrating with HAProxy. You can expand upon this by:

• Implementing more complex cookie management logic.
• Using HAProxy for load balancing across multiple Golf servers.
• Securing your application with HAProxy's security features.

By mastering cookies and leveraging tools like HAProxy, you can create powerful and user-friendly Golf applications. You can also use other web servers like Apache or Nginx, but HAProxy is still a solid choice to use.