User auth example in Rails 3, using Devise, OmniAuth, Mongoid, and JSON responses

Question

I have integrated Devise and OmniAuth with my Mongoid ORM setup using the following examples:

https://github.com/plataformatec/devise/wiki/Example-Applications

My client code is mostly JavaScript (ExtJS) and relies on JSON for all of the communication. I use no Rails templates. I am looking to build a multi-provider authentication model, primarily using user/pass, Facebook, and Twitter. I am having difficulty putting together the full User authentication flow with respect to my application stack.

I am looking for an example that uses JSON responses to the standard authentication actions, instead of redirects, and provides an integration with OmniAuth that uses Mongoid. In addition to the above examples, I have gone through Ryan Bates' Railscasts on Devise and OmniAuth. Every example I have worked through so far have either been ActiveRecord, or Rails template oriented. Any pointers are appreciated!

Answer 1

This (https://github.com/fertapric/rails3-mongoid-devise-omniauth) is a good example app for getting set up with rails 3, devise, omniauth and mongoid, and a tutorial to go along with it here: https://github.com/fortuity/rails3-mongoid-devise/wiki/Tutorial-(Walkthrough)

Then you'll need to override the user sessions controller to provide the correct json responses for your app, there is a good example here: https://gist.github.com/733647 and here: http://groups.google.com/group/plataformatec-devise/browse_thread/thread/daa3332b3c4a1b4b

Hope this helps

Answer 2

I would suggest that you roll your own authentication mechanism using Rails 3.1 ActiveModel::SecurePassword instead of using Devise. You will get a cleaner solution that way than trying to tweak Devise to provide JSON responses.

If you can't use Rails 3.1, I would still suggest that you roll your own instead of overriding an internal Devise method (which the gist that Nesbitt links to does).