Which might not work if a user has disabled cookies in his or her Web browser: application state or session state?
If a user has disabled cookies in their web browser, session state may not work as expected, while application state should still function normally.
Session state in ASP.NET typically relies on cookies to store and transmit the session ID between the client and the server. By default, a session cookie named "ASP.NET_SessionId" is used to maintain the session ID. If cookies are disabled in the user's browser, the session cookie cannot be set or accessed, resulting in a loss of session state functionality.
Without session cookies, ASP.NET may resort to using other methods to maintain session state, such as URL rewriting or embedding the session ID in form fields. However, these methods may not be reliable or fully supported in all scenarios.
On the other hand, application state does not rely on cookies and should work even if cookies are disabled. Application state data is stored on the server-side and accessed using the Application object. As long as the server can maintain the application state in memory, it is not affected by the client's cookie settings.
If session state is crucial for your application and you anticipate that some users may have cookies disabled, you could consider alternative session state modes in ASP.NET, such as using a state server or storing session data in a database. These modes can maintain session state without relying on client-side cookies.
It's important to keep in mind that cookieless session modes may have their own limitations and considerations, such as potential impact on URLs, security, and compatibility with certain proxies or firewalls. Carefully evaluate the trade-offs and choose the appropriate session state mode based on your application's requirements and the needs of your users.