Quick notes on rolling quick authentication for a simple rails app. Crat

gistfile1.md

This is a distilation for how to roll a simple authentication system in Rails 3.

Excellent Sources:
RailsTutorials.org
RailsCasts Episode #250

1. Add bcrypt-ruby gem and bundle

2. Generate controller

   1. rails g controller users
   • Note: controllers are named plural by convention

3. Generate model

   1. rails g model user name:string email:string
   2. bundle exec rake db:migrate
   3. Set up validations
      • validates :name, presence: true
      • validates :email, presence: true, uniqueness: { case_insensitive: false }
   • Note: models are named singular by convention
   4. Ensure uniqueness of each user
      • Add index to User model (helps with uniquness)
        1. Run rails g migration add_index_to_users_email
        2. In generate migration file add line: add_index :users, :email, unique: true
        3. bundle exec db:migrate
        4. In models/user.rb add the line: before_save { |user| user.email = email.downcase }

4. Adding secure/encrypted password

   • Read up on has_secure_password
   1. Add password_digets to User db
      • Run rails g migration add_password_digest_to_users password_digest:string
      • Then db:migrate bundle exec rake db:migrate

5. Setting up user authentication

   1. If not installed install bcrypt gem
   2. Make sure password and probably password_confirmation are accessible in modles/user.rb
      • attr_accessible ... :password, :password_confirmation
   3. Requre presence of password in model
      • validates :password, presence: true, set a min length validation if desired
      • validates :password_confirmation, presence: true

6. Configure routes to handle users resources. resources :users

7. Create any view that you need, show, new etc.

8. Write actions for signing up users new and create