Relay Core Connector Textfile Bundle Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Steps

1. Installation

   composer require dbp/relay-core-connector-textfile-bundle
   

   Ensure your config/bundles.php includes the bundle before DbpRelayCoreBundle:

   Dbp\Relay\CoreConnectorTextfileBundle\DbpRelayCoreConnectorTextfileBundle::class => ['all' => true],
   Dbp\Relay\CoreBundle\DbpRelayCoreBundle::class => ['all' => true],
   

2. Configure the Bundle Create config/packages/dbp_relay_core_connector_textfile.yaml with a basic groups structure:

   dbp_relay_core_connector_textfile:
       groups:
           admin:
               - user1@example.com
               - user2@example.com
           editor:
               - user3@example.com
   

3. First Use Case Use this bundle to simplify local development or prototyping by defining user roles/groups in a YAML file instead of a database. Ideal for:

   • Quick API access control testing.
   • Mocking user attributes for Relay API endpoints during development.

Implementation Patterns

Workflows

1. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) Setup

   • Define groups in dbp_relay_core_connector_textfile.yaml and map them to user emails.
   • Example:

     groups:
         super_admin:
             - admin@example.com
         restricted:
             - user@example.com
     

   • Use these groups in your API logic (e.g., via AuthorizationDataProviderInterface).

2. Integration with Relay API

   • The bundle implements AuthorizationDataProviderInterface, so it integrates seamlessly with Relay’s built-in authorization system.
   • No additional middleware or service registration is needed if the bundle is correctly ordered in bundles.php.

3. Dynamic Attribute Assignment

   • Extend the config to include custom attributes (e.g., permissions, metadata) for fine-grained control:

     groups:
         developers:
             - dev1@example.com
             attributes:
                 max_api_calls: 1000
                 allowed_routes: ['/api/v1/*']
     

Tips for Daily Use

• Use for Local/Dev Environments: Avoid database dependencies during development by leveraging the textfile config.
• Combine with Other Providers: Use this bundle alongside database-backed providers (e.g., DbpRelayCoreConnectorDoctrineBundle) for hybrid setups.
• Leverage Symfony’s Parameter Bag: Access the loaded groups via dependency injection:

  use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ParameterBag\ParameterBagInterface;
  
  public function __construct(private ParameterBagInterface $params) {}
  
  public function getGroups(): array
  {
      return $this->params->get('dbp_relay_core_connector_textfile.groups');
  }
  

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Bundle Order Matters

   • If placed after DbpRelayCoreBundle in bundles.php, the AuthorizationDataProviderInterface may not be registered correctly.
   • Fix: Ensure the textfile bundle is listed first in the array.

2. YAML Syntax Errors

   • Invalid YAML (e.g., unquoted emails with special characters) will cause silent failures.
   • Fix: Validate your config with a YAML linter or use tools like YAMLLint.

3. No Real-Time Updates

   • Changes to the config file require a cache clear (php bin/console cache:clear) to take effect.
   • Workaround: Use a file watcher (e.g., Laravel Mix’s notify) or a custom event listener to reload the config dynamically.

4. Limited Scalability

   • Not suitable for production with hundreds of users/roles (use a database-backed provider instead).
   • Tip: Use this bundle only for development or small-scale testing.

Debugging

• Check Loaded Config: Dump the loaded groups in a controller or command to verify the config is parsed correctly:

  $groups = $this->params->get('dbp_relay_core_connector_textfile.groups');
  dump($groups);
  

• Enable Debug Mode: Set APP_DEBUG=true in .env to surface any configuration or dependency injection errors.

Extension Points

1. Custom Attribute Providers

   • Extend the bundle’s AuthorizationDataProvider to fetch attributes from other sources (e.g., environment variables, API calls):

     // src/Service/CustomAttributeProvider.php
     class CustomAttributeProvider implements AuthorizationDataProviderInterface
     {
         public function getAuthorizationData(string $userEmail): array
         {
             // Merge textfile data with custom logic
             return array_merge(
                 $this->textfileProvider->getAuthorizationData($userEmail),
                 $this->fetchCustomAttributes($userEmail)
             );
         }
     }
     

2. Override Default Behavior

   • Replace the bundle’s service definition in config/services.yaml:

     services:
         Dbp\Relay\CoreConnectorTextfileBundle\Authorization\TextfileAuthorizationDataProvider:
             arguments:
                 $groups: '%env(DBP_RELAY_GROUPS)%'  # Use env vars for flexibility
     

3. Event Listeners for Dynamic Reloads

   • Listen to kernel events to reload the config without manual cache clears:

     // src/EventListener/ConfigReloadListener.php
     class ConfigReloadListener
     {
         public function onKernelRequest(GetResponseEvent $event)
         {
             if ($event->isMasterRequest() && $this->shouldReloadConfig()) {
                 $this->reloadConfig();
             }
         }
     }