Django Email-Based Authentication Customization

Frontend and Backend Development
1

I’m implementing a Django authentication system that logs in users only by their email. My custom backend triggers an error about a missing get_user method. Below is my revised approach:

from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model

class EmailAuthService:
    def verify_email(self, email_input):
        UserModel = get_user_model()
        try:
            return UserModel.objects.get(email=email_input)
        except UserModel.DoesNotExist:
            return None
    
    def get_user(self, uid):
        UserModel = get_user_model()
        try:
            return UserModel.objects.get(pk=uid)
        except UserModel.DoesNotExist:
            return None

from django.shortcuts import redirect
from django.contrib.auth import login

 def process_login(request):
    email_entry = request.POST.get('email')
    user_instance = EmailAuthService().verify_email(email_entry)
    if user_instance and user_instance.is_active:
        login(request, user_instance)
    return redirect('home')
2

hey echo_vibrant, nice post! i wander if u thought about implementing token-based verification alongside the email check? in my experiance, that extra step adds security and flexibility. what do u think about mixing both methods?

3

hey echo_vibrant, have u double chkd settings? misconfigured backend can trigger such issues. maybe add in some debug logs to see whether the custom methods are even being invoked. cheers!

4

The custom backend appears to have a correct implementation of determining the user by email, and the error regarding the missing get_user method seems to have been resolved by the incorporation of the get_user in your EmailAuthService. In my experience, ensuring this method is present and correctly integrated into your authentication mechanism is crucial for Django to effectively retrieve the user instance for session management. The organization of your authentication process is sound and aligns with Django’s expectations, reducing potential runtime issues.

5

hey, sometimes it’s not the code but backend registation in settings. i had a similar issue when my custom backend wasnt properly added. your get_user method seems fine, so a minor config err might be the cause. good luck, and check that out

6

The code appears to be on the right track; however, it is essential to ensure that the custom backend is correctly integrated in your Django settings. In my experience, defining the AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS setting accurately avoids many unexpected issues. Furthermore, adding comprehensive logging or exception handling may assist in identifying errors, especially in a production system. Testing in both development and staging environments can reveal potential pitfalls related to session management and the retrieval of user instances. Consistent code review and integration tests have always proven beneficial in identifying edge cases and ensuring overall reliability.