Registration

Goal

This snapshot advances Ironclad Gazette by teaching you to validate accounts and store bcrypt password hashes.

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

Prerequisites

Use Java 17+, Maven, a terminal, and Docker for MySQL stages. You should recognize classes, annotations, and HTTP verbs.

Port 8080 must be free. Copy .env.example before starting database stages.

• Java 17 and Maven
• A code editor and terminal
• Docker from part 4 onward

Concepts

Registration normalizes email, checks uniqueness, and stores a one-way hash with BCrypt—never a raw password.

Keep controllers thin: accept input, delegate to repositories or services, and let Thymeleaf escape output by default.

Walkthrough

Accept a form POST, validate password length, hash with BCryptPasswordEncoder, and save the user.

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

user.setPasswordHash(encoder.encode(password));
users.save(user);

Run and verify

Enter 06-Registration, start MySQL when needed, copy .env.example, and run mvn spring-boot:run on port 8080.

Open http://127.0.0.1:8080. Watch the terminal for validation and database errors.

docker compose -f ../docker-compose.yml up -d
git clone https://github.com/michaeldunga1/fcc-spring-blog.git
cd fcc-spring-blog/06-Registration
cp .env.example .env
mvn spring-boot:run

Troubleshooting

Duplicate username/email should return a clear form error instead of a 500.

Connection refused usually means Docker MySQL is stopped or the port is not 3308. For auth issues, confirm you are using email (not username) on the login form.

• Read the first error first
• Restart after environment changes
• Never commit .env or uploads

Try this

Try a short password and a duplicate email.

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