Session Test Documentation Page

Session Test in Starlight

This page demonstrates session handling within Starlight documentation pages. Since Starlight pages are typically prerendered, we’ll show how to integrate dynamic session functionality.

Session Component

Loading session data...

How It Works

This Starlight page demonstrates several session concepts:

1. Client-Side Session Fetching

Since Starlight pages are prerendered by default, we use a React component that fetches session data from an API endpoint after the page loads:

// Fetch session data on component mount
useEffect(() => {
fetch('/api/session')
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(data => setSessionData(data));
}, []);

2. API Endpoint Integration

The component communicates with an API endpoint at /api/session that handles:

• GET: Retrieve current session information
• POST: Store custom data in the session
• DELETE: Clear the session

3. Session Persistence

Sessions are persisted using HTTP-only cookies with these properties:

cookies.set('session_id', sessionId, {
path: '/',
maxAge: 60 * 60 * 24 * 30, // 30 days
httpOnly: true,
secure: true,
sameSite: 'lax'
});

Key Differences from Standard Astro Pages

Feature	Standard Astro Page	Starlight Documentation
Rendering	SSR (server-side)	Prerendered (static)
Session Access	Direct in frontmatter	Via API endpoints
Cookie Handling	Astro.cookies	Client-side fetch
Form Handling	Native HTML forms	JavaScript/React
Database Access	Direct in page	Via API endpoints

Testing the Session

1. Visit Counter: Refresh this page and watch the visit count increase
2. Custom Data: Enter some text and save it to the session
3. Persistence: Navigate away and come back - your data persists
4. Clear Session: Use the clear button to reset everything

Implementation Notes

Note

Since Starlight pages are prerendered, all dynamic session operations must happen:

• On the client side using JavaScript/React
• Through API endpoints that handle the server-side logic
• After the initial page load (hydration)

Caution

Remember that prerendered pages cannot directly access Astro.cookies or database connections in their frontmatter. All server-side operations must go through API routes.

Next Steps

To implement sessions in your own Starlight documentation:

1. Create API endpoints for session management
2. Use client-side components for dynamic content
3. Implement proper error handling
4. Consider caching strategies for performance
5. Add session-based features like progress tracking

---

This test page demonstrates session functionality in Starlight. Visit the standard Astro test page to compare implementations.