Unlocking Custom Identity: A Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing LiteDb.Identity for Your Blazor App

Welcome, fellow developers! In this article, we’ll embark on a journey to create a custom identity provider based on LiteDb.Identity for your Blazor application. If you’re new to identity providers or LiteDb, don’t worry – we’ll cover everything you need to know to get started. By the end of this article, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to implement a scalable and secure identity system for your Blazor app.

What is LiteDb.Identity?

LiteDb.Identity is an open-source, lightweight, and flexible identity framework designed for .NET Core applications. It provides a robust and customizable way to manage user identities, roles, and claims. By leveraging LiteDb.Identity, you can create a tailored identity solution that fits your application’s unique needs.

Why Choose LiteDb.Identity?

There are several reasons why you might choose LiteDb.Identity over other identity providers:

• Flexibility**: LiteDb.Identity is highly customizable, allowing you to adapt it to your application’s specific requirements.
• Performance**: As a lightweight framework, LiteDb.Identity is designed for high performance and efficiency.
• Scalability**: With LiteDb.Identity, you can easily scale your identity system as your application grows.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the implementation, make sure you have the following components installed:

• .NET Core 3.1 or higher
• Blazor Server or WebAssembly
• LiteDb.Identity NuGet package (available on NuGet.org)
• A code editor or IDE of your choice (e.g., Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code)

Step 1: Create a New Blazor App

Let’s start by creating a new Blazor app. Open your terminal or command prompt and run the following command:

dotnet new blazorserver -o MyBlazorApp

This will create a new Blazor Server app called MyBlazorApp. You can choose WebAssembly instead by replacing `blazorserver` with `blazorwasm`.

Step 2: Add LiteDb.Identity NuGet Package

In your terminal or command prompt, navigate to your project directory and install the LiteDb.Identity NuGet package:

dotnet add package LiteDb.Identity

Step 3: Configure LiteDb.Identity

In your `Startup.cs` file, add the following code to configure LiteDb.Identity:

using LiteDB.Identity;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting;
using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;

public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
{
    services.AddLiteDbIdentity<MyBlazorApp.Models.User>(
        db => db.UseLiteDb("MyLiteDb.db"),
        options => options.UseDefaultSecurityStampValidator()
    );
}

public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app, IWebHostEnvironment env)
{
    app.UseLiteDbIdentity();
}

In the code above, we’re telling LiteDb.Identity to use a LiteDB database file called `MyLiteDb.db` and enabling the default security stamp validator.

Step 4: Create a Custom User Model

Create a new folder called `Models` in your project directory and add a `User.cs` file. In this file, define a custom user model that inherits from `LiteDb.Identity.Core.IdentityUser`:

using LiteDb.Identity.Core;

public class User : IdentityUser
{
    public string FirstName { get; set; }
    public string LastName { get; set; }
}

This custom user model includes `FirstName` and `LastName` properties, but you can add or remove properties as needed.

Step 5: Implement Custom Identity Provider

Create a new folder called `Identity` in your project directory and add a `MyCustomIdentityProvider.cs` file. In this file, define a custom identity provider that inherits from `LiteDb.Identity.Core.IdentityProvider`:

using LiteDb.Identity.Core;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Identity;
using MyBlazorApp.Models;

public class MyCustomIdentityProvider : IdentityProvider<User>
{
    public override async Task<IdentityResult> CreateAsync(User user)
    {
        // Custom user creation logic goes here
        return await base.CreateAsync(user);
    }

    public override async Task<IdentityResult> DeleteAsync(User user)
    {
        // Custom user deletion logic goes here
        return await base.DeleteAsync(user);
    }

    public override async Task<IdentityResult> UpdateAsync(User user)
    {
        // Custom user update logic goes here
        return await base.UpdateAsync(user);
    }
}

In this example, we’re overriding the `CreateAsync`, `DeleteAsync`, and `UpdateAsync` methods to provide custom logic for user creation, deletion, and updates.

Step 6: Register Custom Identity Provider

In your `Startup.cs` file, register the custom identity provider:

public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
{
    services.AddLiteDbIdentity<MyBlazorApp.Models.User>(
        db => db.UseLiteDb("MyLiteDb.db"),
        options => options.UseDefaultSecurityStampValidator()
    )
    .AddProvider<MyCustomIdentityProvider>();
}

Step 7: Use Custom Identity Provider in Your Blazor App

Now that we’ve registered the custom identity provider, we can use it in our Blazor app. Create a new page called `Login.razor` and add the following code:

@using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Components.Web
@using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Components.Authorization
@using MyBlazorApp.Identity

<Authorize>
    <h1>Login</h1>
    <form @onsubmit="HandleSubmit">
        <label>Username:</label>
        <input @oninput="HandleUsernameInput" />
        <br />
        <label>Password:</label>
        <input type="password" @oninput="HandlePasswordInput" />
        <br />
        <button type="submit">Login</button>
    </form>
</Authorize>

@code {
    private string username;
    private string password;

    async Task HandleSubmit()
    {
        var user = new User { Username = username, Password = password };
        await MyCustomIdentityProvider.SignInAsync(user);
    }

    void HandleUsernameInput(ChangeEventArgs e)
    {
        username = (e.Value as string)?.Trim();
    }

    void HandlePasswordInput(ChangeEventArgs e)
    {
        password = (e.Value as string)?.Trim();
    }
}

In this example, we’re using the custom identity provider to authenticate users with our Blazor app.

Conclusion

Implementing a custom identity provider based on LiteDb.Identity for your Blazor app is a straightforward process. By following these steps, you can create a tailored identity system that meets your application’s unique requirements. Remember to customize and extend the identity provider as needed to ensure a secure and scalable identity solution.

Key Takeaways
– Use LiteDb.Identity for a lightweight and flexible identity framework.
– Create a custom user model that inherits from LiteDb.Identity.Core.IdentityUser.
– Implement a custom identity provider that inherits from LiteDb.Identity.Core.IdentityProvider.
– Register the custom identity provider in your Startup.cs file.
– Use the custom identity provider in your Blazor app for authentication and authorization.

By now, you should have a solid understanding of how to implement a custom identity provider based on LiteDb.Identity for your Blazor app. Happy coding!

Additional Resources

For more information on LiteDb.Identity, visit the official documentation:

• LiteDb.Identity GitHub Repository
• LiteDb.Identity Documentation

Stay tuned for more tutorials and articles on implementing custom identity providers for Blazor apps!

Frequently Asked Question

Get ready to unlock the secrets of implementing a custom identity provider based on LiteDb.Identity for a Blazor app!