Login and Sessions

Goal

This snapshot advances Glasspoint Notes by teaching you to authenticate with signed session cookies.

Every numbered folder is a complete app. Run this stage independently, then compare it with the previous folder.

Prerequisites

Use Node.js 20+, npm, and a terminal. No Docker is required — each snapshot uses a local SQLite file.

Port 3006 must be free. Copy .env.example before starting database stages.

• Node.js and npm
• A code editor and terminal

Concepts

Keep only the user id in the session and load the user per request.

Keep handlers thin: Express routes load data, Lit templates present escaped HTML, and mutations re-check authorization on the server.

Walkthrough

Verify credentials, set the session, and clear it on logout.

Read the example, then open the matching snapshot. The repository includes the surrounding setup and error handling.

res.setHeader('Set-Cookie', sessionCookie(user.id))
res.redirect(303, '/')

Run and verify

Enter 07-Login-And-Sessions, install dependencies, copy .env.example, and start Express on port 3006.

Open http://127.0.0.1:3006. Watch the terminal for validation and database errors.

git clone https://github.com/michaeldunga1/fcc-lit-blog.git
cd fcc-lit-blog/07-Login-And-Sessions
npm install
cp .env.example .env
npm run dev

Troubleshooting

Changing SESSION_SECRET invalidates cookies.

For database failures, delete glasspoint.db and restart so schema and seeds recreate. Never commit .env, *.db, or node_modules.

• Read the first error first
• Restart after environment changes
• Never commit secrets

Try this

Log in, restart, confirm session, then log out.

Test a happy path and one invalid or unauthorized request.

• Make one small change
• Test it in the browser
• Compare with the next snapshot only after it works