N2.Core.Identity 1.1.0

N2.Core.Identity

Description

N2.Core.Identity is a flexible identity and role management library for .NET applications, built on top of ASP.NET Core Identity. It provides a strongly-typed, extensible N2IdentityDbContext (extending IdentityDbContext) and a feature-rich N2UserManager for advanced user, role, and authentication scenarios. The library is designed for modern .NET (net8.0, net9.0) and supports custom user properties, role management, and token-based workflows.

Features

• Extends IdentityDbContext for easy integration with ASP.NET Core Identity.
• Strongly-typed ApplicationUser and ApplicationRole with support for custom properties.
• Advanced user and role management via N2UserManager.
• Token generation and email confirmation workflows.
• Designed for .NET 8 and .NET 9.

License

AFL-3.0

Basic Setup

1. Configure the DbContext in your application:
2. Register the N2UserManager:
3. Configure Identity (optional, for ASP.NET Core):
4. Use N2UserManager in your application:

using N2.Core.Identity.Services; using N2.Core.Identity.Data;
public class AccountService { private readonly IUserManager<ApplicationUser> _userManager;
   public AccountService(IUserManager<ApplicationUser> userManager)
   {
       _userManager = userManager;
   }

   public async Task CreateUserAsync(string email, string password)
   {
       var user = new ApplicationUser { UserName = email, Email = email };
       await _userManager.CreateAsync(user, password, CancellationToken.None);
   }
}

Best Practices

1. Secure Configuration

• Connection Strings: Store database connection strings securely (e.g., environment variables, Azure Key Vault, or user secrets in development).
• Sensitive Data: Never log sensitive information such as passwords or tokens.

2. Dependency Injection

• Always register N2UserManager and related services (N2IdentityContext, ApplicationUser, ApplicationRole) using dependency injection. This ensures proper lifetime management and testability.

3. Error Handling

• Always check the result of N2UserManager methods. Most methods return an ICommandResponse or similar result object—verify Status.IsSuccess() before proceeding.
• Handle and log errors gracefully, but avoid exposing internal details to end users.

4. User Input Validation

• Validate all user input before passing it to N2UserManager methods. This includes usernames, emails, and passwords.
• Use strong password policies and validate emails for format and uniqueness.

5. Token Management

• Use the provided token generation and validation methods for email confirmation and password reset. Tokens should be time-limited and single-use where possible.
• Never expose raw tokens in logs or error messages.

6. Role Management

• Use AddToRoleAsync, RemoveFromRoleAsync, and RoleExistsAsync to manage user roles. Always check for role existence before assignment.
• Avoid hardcoding role names; use constants or configuration.

7. DbContext Lifetime

• Ensure that the N2IdentityContext (or your DbContext) is registered with a scoped lifetime (the default for EF Core in ASP.NET Core).
• Avoid sharing DbContext instances across threads.

8. Concurrency and Transactions

• Be aware of concurrency issues, especially when updating user or role data. Use transactions if multiple changes must be atomic.
• Handle potential DbUpdateConcurrencyException or similar exceptions.

9. Security Practices

• Always hash and salt passwords using the built-in mechanisms.
• Use HTTPS for all communications.
• Enable account lockout and email confirmation for new users.

10. Testing

• Write unit and integration tests for all user management workflows.
• Use test doubles or in-memory databases for testing, not production data.