AuthService_breakdown.md

Let's break down the different roles of the AuthService under the core directory and the AuthService in the auth feature.

Core AuthService:

The AuthService under the core directory is typically responsible for providing authentication-related functionalities across the entire application. This can include methods for checking the authentication status, retrieving and storing authentication tokens, handling session management, and providing helper methods related to authentication.

Functions:

1. Check Authentication Status: Determines if the user is currently authenticated.
2. Token Management: Retrieves and stores authentication tokens.
3. Session Management: Handles login sessions and automatic logout on session expiration.
4. Global Authentication Guards: Provides methods that can be used in route guards to protect routes.

// core/services/auth.service.ts

import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
import { Router } from '@angular/router';

@Injectable({
  providedIn: 'root'
})
export class AuthService {
  private tokenKey = 'authToken';

  constructor(private router: Router) {}

  isAuthenticated(): boolean {
    const token = localStorage.getItem(this.tokenKey);
    // Additional logic to check if token is valid can be added here
    return !!token;
  }

  getToken(): string | null {
    return localStorage.getItem(this.tokenKey);
  }

  setToken(token: string): void {
    localStorage.setItem(this.tokenKey, token);
  }

  logout(): void {
    localStorage.removeItem(this.tokenKey);
    this.router.navigate(['/login']);
  }
}

Feature-specific AuthService:

The AuthService in the auth feature focuses on functionalities specifically related to the authentication process itself, such as logging in, signing up, password resets, and potentially social login integrations. This service handles the communication with the backend API for these specific operations.

Functions:

1. Login: Handles user login by communicating with the backend API.
2. Sign Up: Manages new user registration by sending data to the backend API.
3. Password Reset: Facilitates password reset functionality.
4. Account Verification: Manages email or phone number verification if required.

// features/auth/services/auth.service.ts

import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
import { HttpClient } from '@angular/common/http';
import { Observable } from 'rxjs';
import { AuthService as CoreAuthService } from '../../core/services/auth.service';

@Injectable({
  providedIn: 'root'
})
export class AuthService {
  private apiUrl = 'https://api.example.com/auth';

  constructor(private http: HttpClient, private coreAuthService: CoreAuthService) {}

  login(credentials: { email: string, password: string }): Observable<any> {
    return this.http.post(`${this.apiUrl}/login`, credentials);
  }

  signUp(user: { email: string, password: string, name: string }): Observable<any> {
    return this.http.post(`${this.apiUrl}/signup`, user);
  }

  resetPassword(email: string): Observable<any> {
    return this.http.post(`${this.apiUrl}/reset-password`, { email });
  }

  verifyAccount(token: string): Observable<any> {
    return this.http.post(`${this.apiUrl}/verify-account`, { token });
  }

  handleLoginSuccess(response: any): void {
    const token = response.token;
    this.coreAuthService.setToken(token);
  }
}

Key Differences

1. Scope and Usage:

• Core AuthService: Used across the application for generic authentication tasks like checking if the user is authenticated, managing tokens, and session management.
• Feature-specific AuthService: Focused on performing specific authentication-related operations such as login, signup, password reset, and account verification.

2. Functionality:

• Core AuthService: Provides utility methods for the entire application to manage the authentication state.
• Feature-specific AuthService: Handles direct interactions with the backend API for authentication processes and delegates token management to the core service.

3. Dependencies:

• Core AuthService: Minimal dependencies, usually interacting with storage and routing.
• Feature-specific AuthService: Depends on the HTTP client and may use the core AuthService for managing tokens post-authentication.

Integration Example

// features/auth/components/login/login.component.ts

import { Component } from '@angular/core';
import { AuthService } from '../../services/auth.service';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-login',
  templateUrl: './login.component.html',
  styleUrls: ['./login.component.scss']
})
export class LoginComponent {
  email = '';
  password = '';

  constructor(private authService: AuthService) {}

  login(): void {
    this.authService.login({ email: this.email, password: this.password }).subscribe(
      response => {
        this.authService.handleLoginSuccess(response);
        // Redirect or show success message
      },
      error => {
        // Handle error
      }
    );
  }
}

Summary

Core AuthService: Handles global authentication tasks like token management and session checks.
Feature-specific AuthService: Manages authentication processes, such as login and signup, and interacts with the backend API.