My app's [NSHTTPCookieStorage setCookie] destroys the browser's cookie?

Question

I'm logging into an API via [NSHTTPCookieStorage setCookie] . http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/Cocoa/Reference/Foundation/Classes/NSHTTPCookieStorage_Class/Reference/Reference.html

If I log in while my browser is open, already logged in with the same user to the same site, both the app and the browser continue to work fine.

But if I Quit my browser, open it up again, and go back to the site, the cookie has been lost. User is not logged in.

What's going on here, and is there a way to force the app to use a different cookie than the browser?

Alternately, if we are "sharing" cookies between apps, is there any way I can use the already-logged-in user's cookie to log into my app without asking for a username/password?

Answer 1

Here's the code for create a new cookie, as you requested: (Not tested in XCode)

// Dictionary of attributes for the new cookie
NSDictionary *newCookieDict = [NSMutableDictionary 
                               dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:@".example.com", NSHTTPCookieDomain,
                                                            @"Test Cookie", NSHTTPCookieName,
                                                            @"/", NSHTTPCookiePath,
                                                            @"test1234567890", NSHTTPCookieValue,
                                                            @“2011-10-26 00:00:00 -0700", NSHTTPCookieExpires, nil];
// Create a new cookie
NSHTTPCookie *newCookie = [NSHTTPCookie cookieWithProperties:newCookieDict];

// Add the new cookie
[[NSHTTPCookieStorage sharedHTTPCookieStorage] setCookie:newCookie];

Special attention to the last element of the dictionary

Answer 2

Have you set an expiration date for the cookie? If you don't, NSHTTPCookie assumes to be session only ( link to docs )