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Authentication Magic with .NET 8 🎩 Using Bearer Tokens & Cookies✨
Hey Reader,
Hope you're doing great! 😃 This week's spotlight is on implementing authentication in .NET 8 through a Web API. You can either watch the tutorial video on YouTube linked below or keep scrolling for a detailed code walkthrough.
Authentication with .NET 8 on YouTube 🎥
Getting your authentication endpoints up and running has never been easier, and we're covering all the details in this week's YouTube tutorial. In this session, you'll also learn the ins and outs of using bearer tokens and cookies for authentication.
Step-by-Step Code for Adding Authentication in .NET 8 🛠️
For this demo, we're utilizing Entity Framework and SQL Server Express. So, first things first, get these NuGet Packages installed:
- Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore
- Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Design
- Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer
Step 1: Setting Up the Data Context
The first step is to create a DataContext class that inherits from IdentityDbContext. This allows your application to use the built-in Identity system provided by .NET 8 for authentication and authorization.
Step 2: Configuring the Connection String
Your application needs to know how to connect to the database. For this, we will use a connection string. Here, we're using a SQL Server Express Database, and we place this connection string in our appsettings.json file.
Step 3: Registering Services in Program.cs
In your Program.cs file, register your DataContext to let the application know to use it for database-related activities.
This uses Dependency Injection to add the DataContext class as a service and configure it to use SQL Server with the specified connection string.
Step 4: Kickstarting Authentication
To enable authorization mechanisms in your application, you need to add the core authorization services.
Step 5: Enhancing Identity Services
Next, you'll want to set up the identity services and tie them to Entity Framework for storing identity information.
This line incorporates a suite of standard identity services into the application. It also sets up authentication to work with identity bearer tokens and cookies, eliminating the need for manual configuration, and configures the app to use the Entity Framework data store you defined earlier.
Step 6: Leveraging .NET 8 Features
Finally, utilize the latest features in .NET 8 for identity management.
This line adds built-in endpoints for user registration, login, and other identity operations, saving you a lot of manual work.
Step 7: Final Steps—Database Migrations
The final step is to update your database schema to accommodate these new identity functionalities. If you haven't yet installed the .NET EF Core Tools, do it now with:
Then, run the migrations and update your database:
Congratulations! You've successfully implemented authentication in your .NET 8 application. When you run your app now, you'll find all identity-related endpoints are ready to go!
That wraps it up for today. For more detailed tutorials on authentication and authorization with .NET 8, make sure to check out my YouTube channel or stay subscribed to this newsletter.
📬 Got questions or specific topics you're interested in? Feel free to hit 'reply'. Your feedback is invaluable.
A massive thank you to everyone for being part of this amazing community! 🙌 A special shout-out to my Patrons—your support plays a crucial role in keeping both this newsletter and my YouTube channel alive.
Until our next coding journey, take care, and happy coding! 💻
Patrick
Patrick God
Become a .NET & Blazor expert with weekly tutorials featuring best practices and the latest improvements, right in your inbox.
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