(1) In object-oriented programming, the state of an object is the combination of its original values plus any modifications.
(2) The current status of data or a process. "Maintaining state" or "managing state" means keeping track of the data or process. This is an issue on websites, because the Web's HTTP protocol does not maintain state between page requests. For example, an e-commerce site must keep track of customers that add an item to a shopping cart, wander off to another page and then come back to complete the order. Likewise, website statistics are created by tracking the routes users take when visiting. In order to maintain state in a stateless environment, cookies are used. See
stateless,
cookie and
ISAPI.
Maintaining State with Voice Calls
Because everything is chopped into packets by the network, maintaining "state" is also an issue when voice is carried over the Internet (voice over IP). Techniques are devised to simulate the end-to-end connection of a regular telephone call that would "maintain the state of the call." This would readily allow the call to be barged in on, a requirement in certain call centers as well as for emergencies. See
IP telephony signaling protocol and
Web bug.