Authentication and authorization are crucial aspects for the security of any API. Authentication verifies the identity of the user, while authorization checks the permissions to perform certain actions. In this chapter, we will learn how to implement both in a GraphQL API using JWT (JSON Web Tokens).

Installing Dependencies

First, we will install jsonwebtoken and bcryptjs to handle JWT tokens and password encryption, respectively.

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Configuring Authentication with JWT

1. Creating Users and Login

First, we define a User model to store user data.

User Model (models/User.js):

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2. Defining the Schema with Authentication Mutations

We update the schema to include register and login mutations.

Schema (schema.js):

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3. Implementing Authentication Resolvers

We implement the resolvers for the register and login mutations.

Resolvers (resolvers.js):

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Middleware for Authentication

Update server.js to include middleware that will authenticate requests and add user data to the context.

Server (server.js):

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Example Usage in GraphiQL

Registering a New User

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Logging In

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Use the obtained JWT token in subsequent requests for authentication:

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Creating a Book (Authenticated)

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Summary

In this chapter, we have learned to:

• Configure authentication using JWT in GraphQL.
• Create and authenticate users through mutations.
• Add middleware to handle authentication and authorization.
• Use JWT tokens to protect our mutation resolvers.

These concepts are fundamental for creating secure applications and maintaining data integrity. In the next chapter, we will explore pagination and filtering in GraphQL.

[Placeholder: Diagram showing the authentication and authorization flow in a GraphQL application, from the submission of credentials to performing authenticated queries and mutations]