Node.js JWT Authentication Project

This project is a demonstration of how to implement JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication in a Node.js application. JWT authentication is a popular method for securing APIs and web applications by generating tokens that contain encoded information about a user or session.

Features

• User registration
• User login
• JWT token generation
• Authentication middleware for protected routes
• Simple REST API endpoints for demonstration purposes

Technologies Used

• Node.js
• Express.js
• JSON Web Tokens (JWT)
• MongoDB (for storing user data)

Getting Started

Follow these instructions to get a copy of the project up and running on your local machine for development and testing purposes.

Prerequisites

Make sure you have the following software installed on your machine:

• Node.js (v14.x or higher)
• npm (Node Package Manager) or yarn

Installation

1. Clone the repository to your local machine:

   git clone https://github.com/vishalpathakcodes/JWT-Node-JS-Auth-Template.git
   

2. Install dependencies using npm or yarn:

   npm install
   

   or

   yarn install
   

3. Environment variables:

   PORT=3000
   MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/auth
   JWT_SECRET=yoursecretkey
   

   • PORT: The port on which the server will run.
   • MONGODB_URI: MongoDB connection string.
   • JWT_SECRET: Secret key for JWT token generation.

4. Start the server:

   npx nodemon
   

5. The server should now be running locally. You can access it at http://localhost:PORT.

API Endpoints

• POST /register: Register a new user. Requires name, email, and password in the request body.
• POST /login: Login with existing credentials. Requires email and password in the request body.
• GET /home: Get user information. Requires a valid JWT token in the Authorization header.

Acknowledgments

• This project was inspired by various tutorials and resources available online.
• Special thanks to the Node.js, Express.js, and JWT communities for providing excellent tools and documentation.