OpenID Connect is an authentication protocol for web applications. It enables users to authenticate themselves with an application, using one of several methods. These methods include signing in to the application using a one-time-use code and exchanging it with the client. For more information, check out our article on the OpenID protocol. In this article, you’ll learn how to set up and configure OpenID Sign-in in Angular.
Angular Authentication
Using Angular’s Authentication component to authenticate users is straightforward and provides a simple login/logout switch. You can substitute this component with a SignupButtonComponent to provide isolated functionality. A user clicks a login button and is redirected to a log-in page. Authentication with OpenID Connect will prevent false positives. The following are a few considerations when using Auth0 and AuthService.
To use OpenID Connect with Angular, you must ensure that you’ve enabled the oauthService. The default OAuthService uses sessionStorage, but it’s possible to specify localStorage. This way, you can store user tokens across tabs. You should also check that Angular Authentication with OpenID Connect is enabled in your application. Then, add an Angular directive to enable OpenID Connect authentication (more -> https://dev-academy.com/angular-authentication-with-openid-connect/) .
Authentication is a fundamental part of many applications. Using an interceptor for Angular authentication is an easy way to achieve this goal. For a custom authentication approach, you should use a security token service. Using a security token service will allow you to authenticate a user and authorize them across multiple apps. If you’re unsure about the best method to use, check the documentation of the corresponding component.
Angular Application
Developing an Angular Application for OpenID Connect is a simple task. To begin, create a new Angular project and include the following components. An AuthService object will be required for generating the client ID and access token. The AuthService should have the following properties: href, AuthService, and refreshToken. You can use these properties to customize the AppComponent’s behaviour.
An Angular application for OpenID Connect uses OIDC Code Flow with PKCE. The Angular application loads configurations from a configuration json file. The OIDC Code Flow generates a module that encapsulates configuration and provides authentication and authorization. Ensure that the configuration matches the OpenID Connect client configurations on the server. Moreover, the Angular application should be secure.
Create an Auth0 account. Auth0 requires a free account. Register it and create an Auth0-demo. Use the port 4200, which is the default for local Angular development. To create an account, you can go to the IdentityServer 4 GitHub repository. This will provide you with a free Auth0 account. When logging in, the application will use the default port 4200.
Angular Interceptor
Angular provides two options for creating interceptors: PathLocationStrategy and Custom. PathLocationStrategy is enabled by default, but you can configure it to set a custom interceptor. You can also use implicit grants and set a token for outgoing requests. Using custom interceptors is an efficient way to handle a range of problems in one place.
The Authorization Interceptor intercepts HTTP requests and appends the Bearer token to the request header. When a request reaches the interceptor, an Angular application can handle it by alerting the user with a 401 error message, resetting local storage, or redirecting to a forbidden angular route. The AuthHttpInterceptor intercepts HTTP requests and applies interceptors in the order they were received.
The HTTP Interceptor affects all HTTP requests triggered by the application. It will also affect Dependency-Injectors that use the same HTTP Interceptor provider. Since the HTTP Interceptors are global state, you need to make sure they are declared in all modules. You can even use multiple interceptors in the same project, but you should use the most comprehensive interceptor. The best way to use interceptors is to have them in the same package as your application.
Manage HTTP Requests
The following sections describe how OpenID Connect manages HTTP requests. When a user is logged in, the server must use the request headers to verify their identity. The first header to contain a value is the username. After logging in, the server should redirect the user to the same URL. If a user logs out, however, the server should redirect the user back to the original page. The server can use the redirect URI to do this.
HTTP basic authentication is supported. OpenID Connect also allows authentication using signed JWT assertions. This option offers better security because the client does not have to disclose its secret. Once an authentication request has been made, the server will send a token in the HTTP response body. This token will be used by the client to access protected resources. The server can store the token in an authentication object. However, this feature is not available with AJAX.