setrawcookiestring

Setrawcookiestring is a utility or API method found in several web automation and HTTP client libraries. It allows a caller to populate a browser or HTTP cookie store from a single text string, rather than setting cookies individually through separate calls.

The input is typically a raw cookie string that follows standard cookie syntax. A string may contain one or more cookies, usually separated by semicolons, with optional attributes such as Domain, Path, Expires or Max-Age, Secure, HttpOnly, and SameSite. The function parses the string, creates cookie objects for each name-value pair, applies any provided attributes, and stores the cookies in the appropriate domain context of the current session or page.

Return behavior varies by library. Some implementations return the list or count of cookies created, while others perform the operation silently and return void. If the string is malformed or contains conflicting attributes, an error or exception may be raised.

Common use cases include establishing a known authentication or session state in automated tests, bypassing login flows, or seeding a client with tokens for rapid test setup. It is particularly useful in environments where performing a full login sequence is time-consuming or flaky.

Caveats include cookie scope restrictions: cookies can only be set for permissible domains and paths, HttpOnly cookies are not accessible to client-side scripts, and SameSite rules can affect cross-origin behavior. Proper handling of expiration and security attributes is important to avoid unintended suspension of sessions.

See also: RFC 6265, cookie policy, and documentation for the specific library or framework in which setrawcookiestring is implemented.