Building a Secure Vue.js Application - A Step-by-Step Guide with Nuxt.js, Vuetify.js, and Authentication

Introduction

Building a modern and secure web application involves combining powerful frameworks and libraries. In this guide, we'll walk through the process of setting up a Nuxt.js project with Vuetify.js for a stunning UI. Additionally, we'll implement a robust authentication and authorization system to ensure your application's security.

Step 1: Setting up Nuxt.js with Vuetify.js

1. Create a New Nuxt.js Project:
   

   npx create-nuxt-app my-nuxt-app
   

2. Choose Vuetify.js as UI Framework:

   During the setup process, choose Vuetify.js as your UI framework to leverage its pre-built components and styling.

3. Install Additional Dependencies:
   

   cd my-nuxt-app
   npm install --save @nuxtjs/auth-next @nuxt/http @nuxtjs/axios
   

4. Configure Vuetify.js:

   Open the nuxt.config.js file and add the Vuetify.js configuration under the buildModules section:
   

   export default {
     buildModules: ['@nuxtjs/vuetify'],
     vuetify: {
       // Customize Vuetify options here
     },
   }
   

Step 2: Setting up Authentication with Nuxt Auth

1. Configure Nuxt Auth:

   Still in the nuxt.config.js file, add the authentication configuration under the auth section:
   

   export default {
     auth: {
       strategies: {
         local: {
           token: {
             property: 'token',
             required: true,
             type: 'Bearer',
           },
           user: {
             property: 'user',
           },
           endpoints: {
             login: { url: '/api/auth/login', method: 'post' },
             logout: { url: '/api/auth/logout', method: 'post' },
             user: { url: '/api/auth/user', method: 'get' },
           },
         },
       },
     },
   }
   

   Adjust the API endpoints based on your backend authentication setup.

2. Create Login and Logout Pages:

   In the pages directory, create the following files:

   pages/login.vue
   

<template>
  <div>
    <h2>Login</h2>
    <form @submit.prevent="login">
      <label for="username">Username:</label>
      <input v-model="username" type="text" id="username" required>
      <label for="password">Password:</label>
      <input v-model="password" type="password" id="password" required>
      <button type="submit">Login</button>
    </form>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
export default {
  data() {
    return {
      username: '',
      password: '',
    };
  },
  methods: {
    async login() {
      try {
        // Use the $auth.loginWith method to authenticate user
        await this.$auth.loginWith('local', {
          data: {
            username: this.username,
            password: this.password,
          },
        });

        // Redirect to the home page after successful login
        this.$router.push('/');
      } catch (error) {
        console.error('Login failed', error);
      }
    },
  },
};
</script>

pages/logout.vue

<template>
  <div>
    <h2>Logout</h2>
    <button @click="logout">Logout</button>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
export default {
  methods: {
    async logout() {
      try {
        // Use the $auth.logout method to log the user out
        await this.$auth.logout();

        // Redirect to the login page after successful logout
        this.$router.push('/login');
      } catch (error) {
        console.error('Logout failed', error);
      }
    },
  },
};
</script>

1. Login Flow and Accessing User Model:

• The login flow begins when the user submits the login form, triggering the login method in the login.vue component.
• The this.$auth.loginWith method is used to send a request to the specified login endpoint (configured in nuxt.config.js) with the provided username and password.
• Upon successful authentication, the user is redirected to the home page (/).
• The user information, including the token and user model, is automatically stored in the Vuex store by Nuxt Auth.

1. Accessing User Model:

• To access the authenticated user's model from any component, you can use this.$auth.user or this.$store.state.auth.user.
• This information is automatically updated by Nuxt Auth after successful login.

1. Backend Integration:

• The backend should handle authentication, validate user credentials, and return a token upon successful login.
• The /api/auth/login endpoint is where you'd typically handle the authentication logic on the backend, validating the user's credentials and returning a token.
• The /api/auth/user endpoint should return the user's information based on the provided token.

Feel free to customize these steps based on your specific backend and frontend requirements.