NodeJS-Boilerplate with RBAC

This is a template server with NodeJS using

• Express
• MongoDB
• SendGrid
• Passport & jsonwebtoken
• Microservices Architecture

This template implements Role & Permission based Access Control

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Setup

Clone the project

  git clone https://github.com/MuhammadAbbasAkhtar/NodeJS-Boilerplate-with-RBAC

Go to the project directory

  cd NodeJS-Boilerplate-with-RBAC

Install dependencies

  npm install

Start the server

• npm start for production
• npm run dev for development

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Environment variables

To run this project, you will need to add the following environment variables to your .env file

rename .env.example to .env "mv .env.example .env"

APP_NAME : the name of the application. Used when:

• sending registration emails

PORT : server will run on this port

MONGO_CONN_URL : mongodb connection url

production : Used when :

• when sending emails (depending on this value different url is sent to user for account verification)

CRYPTR_EMAIL_SECRET : the user's email is encrypted by this secret. Used when:

• Sending registration emails

FROM_EMAIL : all the emails will be sent using this address

REGISTRATION_TEMPLATE_ID : sendgrid template id

• this template is used when sending registration emails

SENDGRID_API_KEY : sendgrid api key

• sendgrid is used for sending emails

LOCAL_IP : server's local ip

• sendgrid changes url in emails and local server url becomes invalid

• Local ip is set automatically when app is created in server.js using helpers/common.getLocalIP()

• Used when:

  • sending emails to user

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Keys config

config/keys.js

JWT_SECRET : The secret by which the token will be signed

REFRESH_TOKEN_SECRET : The secret by which the refresh token will be signed

REFRESH_TOKEN_LIFE : Life of the refresh token

REFRESH_TOKEN_ALGO : The Algorithm used to sign the refresh token

tokenExpireTime : Life of token

welcome_email_subject : This will be the subject when sending registration emails

emailUrl : This url will be sent in email to the user for verifying on production

emailLocalUrl : This url will be sent in email to the user for verifying on development

EMAIL_TOKEN_EXPIRY : Life of email token

directories : List of directories used by the server as well as the user.

Directories will be auto generated when server is started.

If you don't want the directories to be auto generated, comment/remove createDirectories() in config/init.js

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API Reference

After starting server, visit /api/docs

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How to extend?

1. Create a new route in routes/index.js
2. If this route requires user to be logged in then add authenticate middleware
3. If this route accesses a resource then make a method in the relevant controller to set the resource to the request object
4. If you want to give complete access to one role then
   • Add
     • authRole(role) where role is the key from rbac/roles eg: ROLE.USER
   • Else
     • add the middleware that checks for the specific permission defined in rbac/permissions
5. Add the controller method

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Predefined roles

• admin
• moderator
• user

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Creating roles

• Add the key:value of the role in the ROLE object at rbac/roles

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Creating permissions

1. In rbac/permissions, create a new method that takes minimum 2 parameters; user and the resource.
2. Write the permission logic.
3. Add this method in module.exports

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Creating a middleware to check for permissions

1. Create a method in the relevant controller that calls the permission you just created.
2. Write the checking logic
3. Add this method in module.exports

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Feedback

If you have any feedback, please reach out to me at [email protected]