The ability to identify individual users is a key piece of functionality for most web applications. Visitors should be able to register their details so that they can log back in as returning users at a later date. When users are registered and logged in, the application should be able to make use of the data.
In chapter 11 we’ll look at how authentication works in the MEAN stack. The focus will be on managing this when you have all of the application code in the browser as an Angular SPA. Authentication touches every technology layer of the application; we’ll cover saving user data to the database, securing API endpoints, and managing a session in the browser.
By the end of part 4 we’ll have a fully functioning user registration and login system added to our Loc8r application, which uses the active user’s data during the session.