How do I make an HTTP request using cookies on UWP? - http

Question

I'd like to make an http request to a remote server while properly handling cookies (eg. storing cookies sent by the server, and sending those cookies when I make subsequent requests). It'd be nice to preserve any and all cookies

Answer 1

The built in Windows.Web.Http.HttpClient can manage cookies if you pass in an instance of HttpBaseProtocolFilter to its constructor. This class then has a CookieManager property which contains the cookies and you can even modify it and add your custom cookies for next requests.
However, you should instead reference the System.Net.Http NuGet package and use its HttpClient which always is up-to-date and regularly updated. In this case the HttpClient class accepts a HttpClientHandler instance in its constructor and this class in turn has the CookieContainer property which works in a similar manner as CookieManager in Windows.Web.Http.
System.Net.Http.HttpClient
Send custom cookie
var handler = new HttpClientHandler()
{
CookieContainer = new System.Net.CookieContainer(),
UseCookies = true
};
var client = new System.Net.Http.HttpClient(handler);
handler.CookieContainer.Add(targetUri, new System.Net.Cookie("name", "value"));
var response = await client.GetAsync(targetUri);
Retrieve cookie
var cookie = handler.CookieContainer["name"];
Windows.Web.Http.HttpClient
Send custom cookie
var filter = new Windows.Web.Http.Filters.HttpBaseProtocolFilter()
{
CookieUsageBehavior = Windows.Web.Http.Filters.HttpCookieUsageBehavior.Default
};
filter.CookieManager.SetCookie(new Windows.Web.Http.HttpCookie("name", "domain", "path")
{
Value = "value"
});
var client = new Windows.Web.Http.HttpClient(filter);
var response = await client.GetAsync(targetUri);
Retrieve a cookie
var cookie = filter.CookieManager.GetCookies(targetUri).
FirstOrDefault(cookie => cookie.Name == "name");