Agile Web Development

SuperSimpleAuthentication

===================

First, install the plugin:

    script/plugin install http://svn.ariejan.net/plugins/super_simple_authentication

When the plugin is installed, you may generate your SSA controller. This controller verifies your password and makes sure you stay authenticated for the duration of your visit.

    script/generate super_simple_authentication sessions

Your password is located in config/super_simple_authentication.yml. Change it.

In the SessionsController, you’ll find an include statement. Move this include to your application controller.

The generator automatically added routes to your config/routes.rb file. If you want easy access to login and logout functionality, add these two lines to your config/routes.rb file as well:

    map.login  '/login',  :controller => 'sessions', :action => 'new'
    map.logout '/logout', :controller => 'sessions', :action => 'destroy', :method => :delete

You can now protect you actions and controllers with a before_filter:

    # Protect all actions in the controller
    before_filter :authorization_required

    # Protect all actions, except :index and :recent
    before_filter :authorization_required, :except => [:index, :recent]

    # Protect only :destroy
    before_filter :authorization_required, :only => :destroy

In your views, you can check if you are authorized or not with authorized? E.g.

    <% if authorized? %>
        # ... do secret admin stuff
    <% end %>

Please visit http://trac.ariejan.net to report bugs. Ariejan.net (http://ariejan.net) will keep you updated on new major version. (Please subscribe to RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Ariejan)

About the author:

Ariejan de Vroom is a 26 year old Ruby on Rails developer currently working for Kabisa ICT (http://www.kabisa.nl). Contact him at ariejan@ariejan.net or visit http://ariejan.net

Owner: Ariejan de Vroom

Home: http://ariejan.net/2007/08/24/super-simple-authentication-plugin-and-generator/

Repository: http://svn.ariejan.net/plugins/super_simple_authentication

License: Rails' (MIT)

Category: Security