Problem

• OpenID is complex
• OpenID is not universally used
• Facebook / Myspace / MS-LiveId / AOL connections require different libraries and knowledge
• Multiple heterogenouse providers are hard to map to a single user

Solution

• Use RPX for universal and usable user login
• Use view/controller helpers for easy integration

Usage

• Get an API key @ RPX
• Build login view
• Communicate with RPX API in controller to create or login User
• for more advanced features have a look at the RPX API Docs

Install

• As Rails plugin: script/plugin install git://github.com/grosser/rpx_now.git
• As gem: sudo gem install grosser-rpx_now --source http://gems.github.com/
• As gem from source: git clone git://github.com/grosser/rpx_now.git,cd rpx_now && rake install

Examples

View

#login.erb
#here 'mywebsite' is your subdomain/realm on RPX
<%=RPXNow.embed_code('mywebsite',rpx_token_sessions_url)%>
OR
<%=RPXNow.popup_code('Login here...','mywebsite',rpx_token_sessions_url,:language=>'de')%>

(`popup_code` can also be called with `:unobstrusive=>true`)

Controller

# simple: use defaults
# user_data returns e.g. {:name=>'John Doe',:email=>'john@doe.com',:identifier=>'blug.google.com/openid/dsdfsdfs3f3'}
# when no user_data was found (invalid token supplied), data is empty, you may want to handle that seperatly...
# your user model must have an identifier column
def rpx_token
  data = RPXNow.user_data(params[:token],'YOUR RPX API KEY')
  self.current_user = User.find_by_identifier(data[:identifier]) || User.create!(data)
  redirect_to '/'
end

# process the raw response yourself:
RPXNow.user_data(params[:token],'YOUR RPX API KEY'){|raw| {:email=>raw['profile']['verifiedEmail']}}

# request extended parameters (most users and APIs do not supply them)
RPXNow.user_data(params[:token],'YOUR RPX API KEY',:extended=>'true'){|raw| ...have a look at the RPX API DOCS...}

# you can provide the api key once, and leave it out on all following calls
RPXNow.api_key = 'YOUR RPX API KEY'
RPXNow.user_data(params[:token],:extended=>'true')

Advanced

Versions

The version of RPXNow api can be set globally:

RPXNow.api_version = 2

Or local on each call:

RPXNow.mappings(primary_key, :api_version=>1)

Mappings

You can map your primary keys (e.g. user.id) to identifiers, so that
users can login to the same account with multiple identifiers.

#add a mapping
RPXNow.map(identifier,primary_key,'YOUR RPX API KEY')

#remove a mapping
RPXNow.unmap(identifier,primary_key,'YOUR RPX API KEY')

#show mappings
RPXNow.mappings(primary_key,'YOUR RPX API KEY') # [identifier1,identifier2,...]

After a primary key is mapped to an identifier, when a user logs in with this identifier,
RPXNow.user_data will contain his primaryKey as :id.

TODO

• validate RPXNow.com SSL certificate

Author

Contributors

• DBA

Michael Grosser
grosser.michael@gmail.com
Hereby placed under public domain, do what you want, just do not hold me accountable...