How do I incorporate passport js for authentication?

[egithinji]

Any direction on how to incorporate passport js in express-zod-api? For google oauth2, I'm trying to do something like this. This is the callback/redirect uri endpoint in the oauth2 flow:

export const googleRedirectEndpoint = customEndpointsFactory
  .use(
    passport.authenticate("google", {
      successReturnToOrRedirect: "/",
      failureRedirect: "/login",
    })
  )
  .build({
    method: "get",
    input: inputValidator,
    output: outputValidator,
    handler: async ({ input, options, logger }) => {
      logger.debug("Options:", options);
     ///
    },
  });

But it's getting stuck in the passport middleware, and doesn't do anything, neither does code execution get to the handler (on front end, it hangs on the part where user authorizes google sign in).

[RobinTail]

Hello @egithinji ,

could you please clarify: are you trying to integrate this solution:

https://www.passportjs.org/packages/passport-google-oauth2/

?

[egithinji]

Hi, yes that one! (or any of the strategies for oauth2 authentication).

[RobinTail]

@egithinji ,

Passport is a great library with a perfect abstraction levels. It's a good choice.

This is the actual function that .authenticate() creates:

https://github.com/jaredhanson/passport/blob/master/lib/middleware/authenticate.js#L70

They call it "middleware", however, it acts more like an endpoint handler, because in general scenario it does not call next().
Instead, it calls response.end():

https://github.com/jaredhanson/passport/blob/master/lib/middleware/authenticate.js#L333

Since next() is not called, your handler is never called as well.

Long story short: Passport takes the complete control over authentication routes, it's a not something that expected to be ran in between. Therefore, instead of trying to fit it into EndpointsFactory::use(), I'd suggest you to consider an approach of connecting express-zod-api to your own express app. This approach is explained in the documentation here:

https://github.com/RobinTail/express-zod-api#connect-to-your-own-express-app

Thus, you:

• create express app yourself,
• follow the Passport integration instructions as they are for your authentication routes,
• use attachRouting() method of express-zod-api for your own routes only.
• start your app yourself.

This should work. I hope it will help you.
Let me know if that didn't work for some reason.

[RobinTail]

The only thing besides that you may need is the middleware for checking that the user is authenticated. Similar to this example:

https://github.com/mstade/passport-google-oauth2/blob/master/example/app.js#L130

You can rewrite it for using with express-zod-api like this:

const authCheckMiddleware = createMiddleware({
  input: z.object({}), // means no inputs
  middleware: async ({ request }) => ({
    isAuthenticated: request.isAuthenticated() // it becomes an option for your handler
  }),
});

• or you can throw in the middleware to keep invalidation in one place,
• or you can do response.end() — this should also prevent handler execution.

@egithinji

[egithinji]

Thank you so much @RobinTail for taking your time to dig into this. Once I get a chance to try your solution I will get back to you on how it went.