jData is a new (extremely tiny) library for sharing data about yourself everywhere without a website needing permission\/URIs\/ect. It is like having a globally accessible localStorage. It is accessible at jdata.eligrey.com in two different API flavors: postMessage and HTTP queries. It only works in browsers that support window.postMessage (ie. advanced browsers like Firefox 3 and the WebKit nightlies) and sorta works in IE 8 beta 2. I may add Google Gears support someday.<\/p>\n
What is jData? – Think of the data stored on jData like cookies with no size limit; cookies that can be accessed by any<\/strong> website on the internet. It’s so lightweight that the postMessage API is exactly 300 bytes. Hypothetical situation: Facebook started storing your name (with your permission) to jData.fullname. Then the people who run MySpace think this is a good idea and implement it too. Then other websites start checking jData and see if jData.fullname has been set already and pre-fill the corresponding input text box with your name on a sign up page.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Update:<\/strong> I made a simple jData Manager<\/a> to manage your jData items.<\/p>\n postMessage (Example<\/a>):<\/p>\n First of all, make an iframe with an src of http:\/\/jdata.eligrey.com\/<\/em> and give it an id like jdataframe.\u00a0 Send the frame a message containing a WhatWG Storage API<\/a> property. ( ie. getItem(‘example’) or length ) – It will send a postMessage back containing whatever the storage API function returned. In the case of removeItem and setItem it will either return undefined (via Firefox 3) or null (via WebKit nightlies) depending on the browser. Adding ?hash<\/em> to the end of the jData URI and using the postMessage API changes and updates jData’s hash to the last postMessage every time it recieves a message. To get the hash via a browser that doesn’t aknowledge Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *<\/em> (which should allow any website to view the hash), just send a postMessage containing the word hash.<\/p>\n
\nWhy make this? – This would be a good resource for storing info about yourself that you are okay with any website on the internet knowing.<\/p>\nHow-to use the APIs:<\/h2>\n