ember.js authentication - ember.js

Question

I would like to implement authentication with ember.js.
So, when the application start, before the Router handles the requested url, I want to check the user status. If the user isn't authenticated, I want to save the requested url and redirect to a specific url (/login).
I tried to implement this overloading Ember.Route but I don't think it's a good practice.
For example, if i do:
var AuthRoute = Ember.Route.extend({
redirect: function() {
var controller = App.userController;
if (!controller.get("userAuth")) {
controller.set("lastFilter", this.routeName);
this.transitionTo("index");
}
}
}
});
If, the url is '/admin/foobar', the admin route will redirect instead of foobar.
Can I process redirection before the Router to start?

Answer 1

I use something like this
Ember.SecureRoute = Ember.Route.extend({
role: null,
redirect: function (model) {
if (!this.controllerFor('login').get('authenticated')) {
this._routeToLogin();
}
var role = this.get('role');
if (!Ember.isEmpty(role) && !this.controllerFor('login').hasRole(role)) {
this._routeToLogin();
}
},
_routeToLogin: function () {
var infos = this.get('router.router.currentHandlerInfos');
this.router.router.didTransition(infos);
var routeName = !this.router.router.hasRoute(this.routeName) ? this.routeName + '.index' : this.routeName;
var params = infos.filter(function (item, index, enumerable) { return item.context !== undefined; }).map(function (item) { return item.context; })
var url = Ember.Router.prototype.generate.apply(this.router, params.insertAt(0, routeName))
this.router.location.setURL(url);
this.transitionTo("login");
}
});
in your loginController you can then use the browser history to go back to your original route
APP.LoginController = Ember.Controller.extend({
//other stuff
authenticate: function (username, password) {
//do the authentication
history.go(-1);
}
});

Answer 2

The way that I do it is I pass down the authenticated user with my data. and I have an initConfiguration function inside of my main App
so inside of index file (in this case I am showing you jade) I have this:
// initialize ember settings
script(type='text/javascript')
App.initConfiguration('!{currentUser}')
and inside of my App file I have (coffeescript here)
window.App = Ember.Application.create
currentUser: null
initConfiguration: (currentUser) ->
if currentUser? and currentUser.length > 0
#set 'currentUser', currentUser
If you are using ember-data, then you have to change the application file to
window.App = Ember.Application.create
currentUser: null
tempCurrentUser: null
initConfiguration: (currentUser) ->
##
# set the tempCurrentUser to the currentUser passed in, this is then
# set in the ApplicationRoute to the App.currentUser
# and destroyed (this is necessary as the ember store is not initialzed yet
# and just setting it here will result in an error)
if currentUser? and currentUser.length > 0
#set 'tempCurrentUser', currentUser
and then inside your application route do the following
App.ApplicationRoute = Ember.Route.extend
setupController: (controller) ->
if App.tempCurrentUser?
App.setCurrentUser(App.tempCurrentUser)

Answer 3

Ember has a fantastic guide on preventing and retrying authentication: http://emberjs.com/guides/routing/preventing-and-retrying-transitions/
A simple way to do transitions based on whether or not a user is logged in:
App.ApplicationRoute = Ember.Route.extend({
willTransition: function () {
var session = this.controllerFor('session');
if (!session.get('authed')) {
this.transitionTo('login');
}
}
});
The example above assumes you have some kind of session controller or object managing the active sessions. This works because the ApplicationRoute is the very first route that is hit whenever you enter your application (from any URL).