injecting `sessionScoped` `managedBean` doesn't work - servlet-filters

I have a sessionScoped managedBean called UserManager, when I try to print #{UserManager.loggedIn} in the view, It work, but in my servlet-filter the injection of this managedBean doesn't work.
I tried to inject it like this:
#ManagedProperty(value="#{userManager}")
private UserManager userManager;
And in userManager I have null pointer.

Related

ASP.NET Controller User property not working correctly

I am trying to do something seemingly very simple. All I want to do is get the current Identity User's email address for my Blazor view. I have a UserEmailController in my Server project, with a GetCurrent() method that returns a Task<string>.
public class UserEmailsController : Controller
{
private readonly UserManager<ApplicationUser> _userManager;
public UserEmailsController(UserManager<ApplicationUser> userManager)
{
_userManager = userManager;
}
[HttpGet]
[Route("api/currentUser")]
public async Task<string> GetCurrent()
{
var user = await _userManager.GetUserAsync(User);
return await _userManager.GetEmailAsync(user);
}
}
From the spelunking I've done, it seems that the User property on the Controller base class should have the information loaded into it when a user is logged in, and I should be able to do something like await _userManager.GetUserAsync(User). However, when I break on this line, the Name property of User is null, along with many of the other values. But IsAuthenticated is true. Huh?
So, the result of the _userManager.GetUserAsync(User) call is null.
I've seen a few posts about this, and there are two common themes.
#1 - people try to use the User property in the constructor of a controller and it doesn't work. The suggested solution is to use it in an Action instead, which is of course what I'm doing.
#2 - another common suggestion is to use HttpContext.User, or to inject an IHttpContextAccessor (added via services.AddSingleton... or services.AddHttpContextAccessor()). I've tried all of these approaches and I get the same result.
I found a solution here. Specifically using HttpContext.User.FindFirst(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier) and then passing that into _userManager.FindByIdAsync(nameId). Hell of a roundabout way of doing it, but it works.

Confused about using the very same HTTPContextAccessor instance through the entire ASP.NET Core 3 application?

I've read about configuring IHttpContextAccessor as services.AddSingleton scope, but I also read about it is working "async local", and I am also aware of the sophisticated working of async in ASP.Net, I mean for example if a controller action method is async, and it await for an async call, then it may continue with an other thread, but magically some thread bound things with maintained (like HttpContext)
My concrete use case: I have to inject a MyConverter class to my EF Core DbContext which uses it in OnModelCreating. However this model is cached by the DbContext, so any subsequent request, even it will have a brand new instance of DbContext will use this very same model so the very same MyConverter instance. (even it has configured services.AddTransient). This MyConverter has a constructor and an injected IHttpContextAccessor, so based on the very similar reasons, it effectively will be also a singleton for all DbContext/MyConverter usages.
Question
This particular HttpContextAccessor instance which is created in the very first request will serve all the subsequent requests in the Web app lifecycle. Will it work correctly? Is there any (concurrency) trap here?
(Do I suppose correctly that it does not really matter if we use a single or multiple HttpContextAccessor instances, because its implementation of getting HttpContext will use the correct way including async local thread switch traps etc to return with the correct HttpContext?)
Short answer: register as services.AddHttpContextAccessor() and then you can inject IHttpContextAccessor wherever you want and it'll work as long as you're using it in the request's execution context. For instance you can't read HTTP request headers for code that was not initiated by a HTTP request.
You're right that the IHttpContextAccessor should be registered as a singleton. Instead of doing it yourself, the recommendation is to use AddHttpContextAccessor() extension method. See source code here. It internally registers an HttpContextAccessor as a singleton.
The code for HttpContextAccessor can be found here, which I'm also pasting below:
public class HttpContextAccessor : IHttpContextAccessor
{
private static AsyncLocal<HttpContextHolder> _httpContextCurrent = new AsyncLocal<HttpContextHolder>();
public HttpContext HttpContext
{
get
{
return _httpContextCurrent.Value?.Context;
}
set
{
var holder = _httpContextCurrent.Value;
if (holder != null)
{
// Clear current HttpContext trapped in the AsyncLocals, as its done.
holder.Context = null;
}
if (value != null)
{
// Use an object indirection to hold the HttpContext in the AsyncLocal,
// so it can be cleared in all ExecutionContexts when its cleared.
_httpContextCurrent.Value = new HttpContextHolder { Context = value };
}
}
}
private class HttpContextHolder
{
public HttpContext Context;
}
}
Since the HttpContext getter property returns from an async local field, you always get the HttpContext local to the execution context.
The HttpContext field is set in HttpContextFactory.Create() only if IHttpContextAccessor was registered with the DI. Source.
And HttpContextFactory.Create() is invoked from [HostingApplication](https://github.com/aspnet/AspNetCore/blob/v2.2.5/src/Hosting/Hosting/src/Internal/HostingApplication.cs) where the context is setup.

Dependency Injection with Database-Context. How to get Database-Context in a normal Class

I have configured my .net-core 2.1 service with a database-context in the start-up method.
services.AddDbContext<DatabaseContext>(options => options.UseSqlServer(Configuration.GetConnectionString(nameof(DatabaseContext))));
Now i could do the following to get my database-context in my controller:
var context = serviceProvider.GetService<DatabaseContext>();
This works very well. But how could i access the Database-Context in a normal class something like this sould be done:
public class MyAccessClass{
public MyAccessClass(){
//Access the ServiceProvider or get the Database-Context class anywhere else
}
}
I don't want to pass the database-context object through the constructor or to initialize the DatbaseContext Class again.
Thanks for your help.
You should take your dependencies through the constructor, preferrably an interface, e.g. IDatabaseContext, but code sample below based on your code. If you add MyAccessClass as a service, e.g. services.AddTransient<MyAccessClass>(), and then use dependency injection in your controller, the database context would be automatically injected in the constructor by the default IoC container in ASP.NET Core.
You shouldn't have it rely on IServiceProvider, the reasoning is that your class wants to make no assumption of implementations, it just needs the database context. Having it rely on IServiceProvider would assume this context, and any possible future dependencies, comes from the IoC in ASP.NET Core which may not be the case (what if you just want to release this as a class library later on?). It would make the MyAccessClass class hard to test and use outside of a controller.
You say in your comment:
"...or get the Database-Context class anywhere else"
That anywhere else is completely flexible by simply accepting the context into the constructor since your class doesn't know where anywhere else is but whatever is creating your class does know!
Example of DI in ASP.NET Core
Take context as a dependency through constructor
public class MyAccessClass{
private readonly DatabaseContext databaseContext;
public MyAccessClass(DatabaseContext databaseContext) {
this.databaseContext = databaseContext;
}
}
Add as service
public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
{
services.AddTransient<MyAccessClass>();
}
Inject into a controller
public class MyController : Controller
{
private readonly MyAccessClass myAccessClass;
//Happily injected through DI
public MyController(MyAccessClass myAccessClass)
{
this.myAccessClass = myAccessClass;
}
}
Or inject straight into an action
public class MyController : Controller
{
public MyController()
{
}
public IActionResult MyAction([FromServices] MyAccessClass myAccessClass)
{
}
}

netcore 2.1 Distributed cache with Scoped repository

Need some help.
I have a .netcore 2.1 API which is secured via Azure Bearer token from its clients. I am wanting to collect user information from the bearer token of clients and store it in a SQL database so that I can tag entries within the database if they are being added/deleted/edited etc. For the SQL table joins I therefore need the user imformation in SQL.
Below is my implementation of a Cache Service using IDistributedCache. On Init I am trying to load all currently stored users from the SQL DB in to the cache, then added to it when new users connect in.
To capture the connections across the entire API I was using a TypeFilterAttribute to execute OnActionExecuting.
The problem is that the CacheService is a singleton and is calling the UserRepository - which is scoped. This isn't allowed.
Any thoughts?
startup.cs
public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
{
...
// Context
services.TryAddSingleton<IHttpContextAccessor, HttpContextAccessor>();
services.TryAddSingleton<CacheService>();
// Repositories
services.TryAddScoped<IUserRepository, UserRepository>();
services.AddDistributedMemoryCache();
services.AddMvc(
opts => opts.Filters.Add(new HttpInterceptor())
)
...
CacheService.cs
public class CacheService
{
private readonly IDistributedCache _cache;
private readonly IUserRepository _userRepository;
public CacheService(
IDistributedCache cache,
[FromServices] IUserRepository userRepository
)
{
_cache = cache;
_userRepository = userRepository;
// Populate cache from DB
var users = _userRepository.GetAll().Result;
foreach (var u in users)
{
if (_cache.GetAsync(u.Username).Result == null)
{
var profileSerialised = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(UserToUserProfile(u));
var entry = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(profileSerialised);
_cache.SetAsync(u.Username, entry, new DistributedCacheEntryOptions { AbsoluteExpirationRelativeToNow = TimeSpan.FromMinutes(30) });
}
}
}
HttpInterceptor.cs
public class HttpInterceptor : TypeFilterAttribute
{
public HttpInterceptor() : base(typeof(IHttpInterceptor))
{
}
private class IHttpInterceptor : IActionFilter
{
private readonly CacheService _cache;
private readonly IUserRepository _userRepository;
public IHttpInterceptor(
CacheService cache,
IUserRepository userRepository)
{
_cache = cache;
_userRepository = userRepository;
}
public void OnActionExecuting(ActionExecutingContext context)
{
if (context.HttpContext.User.Identity.IsAuthenticated)
{
this._cache.GetUserProfile(context.HttpContext.User.Identity.Name);
}
}
First, you're looking at this upside-down and backwards. Having some service add stuff to the cache and then having other code just assume that stuff is in the cache ready to go is a recipe for disaster. Instead, have your dependent code literally request the data it needs, and then, if you want to cache it, do it the method that fetches the data. That way your app code remains agnostic about where the data is coming from; it just calls a method and it gets the data it wants. Under the hood, it's either pulled from the database or the cache, depending on which is available/preferred.
Your cache service has serious issues anyways. First, it should not be a singleton in the first place. There's no reason for it to be, and since you're dealing with scoped services inside, you're only making things more difficult than they need to be. Second, you should never ever utilize I/O in a constructor. Only simple variable/prop initialization should be done there. Anything that requires actual work should go into a method. If you truly want to do something on initialization, then you should implement a factory pattern. For example, you might have something like a CacheServiceFactory with a Create method that returns a fully instantiated CacheService including calling any methods that do actual work.
With the disclaimers aside, in general, to use a scoped service in a singleton, you must create a scope. This must be done every time you want to utilize the service; you cannot persist the service to an ivar on your singleton class. Simply, you inject IServiceProvider into your class, which is itself singleton-scoped, so you'll have no problems with that. Then, when you need to utilize a scoped service:
using (var scope = provider.CreateScope())
{
var repo = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<IUserRepository>();
// do something with repo
}
This is called the service locator anti-pattern. It's called such because it's something you should really avoid doing. Sometimes that's no always possible. However, more often than not, you can simply design things in a different way: such as making the service scoped itself.

How do I UseMiddleware<Type>(...) and pass in options?

I'm trying to understand how the ASP.NET Core pipeline works. I would like to use the StaticFileMiddleware and pass in some options.
public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app, IHostingEnvironment env, ILoggerFactory loggerFactory)
{
var staticFileOptions = new StaticFileOptions();
app.UseMiddleware<Microsoft.AspNetCore.StaticFiles.StaticFileMiddleware>(staticFileOptions);
}
When I run my application I get the following error
System.InvalidOperationException: A suitable constructor for type 'Microsoft.AspNetCore.StaticFiles.StaticFileMiddleware' could not be located. Ensure the type is concrete and services are registered for all parameters of a public constructor.
at Microsoft.Extensions.Internal.ActivatorUtilities.CreateInstance(IServiceProvider provider, Type instanceType, Object[] parameters)
at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder.UseMiddlewareExtensions.<>c__DisplayClass3_0.<UseMiddleware>b__0(RequestDelegate next)
at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder.Internal.ApplicationBuilder.Build()
at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting.Internal.WebHost.BuildApplication()
I understand that I can just use
app.UseStaticFiles(staticFileOptions);
But, as this is a learning exercise, I want to call it the other way.
This is my approach to the same problem.
Just create new class with properties which you want to pass:
public class LoggingOption
{
public bool ToLog { get; set; }
}
This is how to init
app.UseMiddleware<LoggingMiddleware>(Options.Create(new LoggingOption{ ToLog = true }));
And this is constructor
public LoggingMiddleware(RequestDelegate next, ILoggerFactory loggerFactory, IOptions<LoggingOption> options)
{
_next = next;
_logger = loggerFactory.CreateLogger<LoggingMiddleware>();
_toLog = options.Value.ToLog;
}
Most middleware's actually take their options not just as the pure class itself, such as in your case StaticFileOptions, but rather wrapped inside the IOptions configuration interface as IOptions<StaticFileOptions>.
Fortunately there is a nice method available to you for just this. So you can pass the return value of Microsoft.Extensions.Options.Options.Create(staticFileOptions) instead into the UseMiddleware call.
Having to wrap inside IOptions might seem redundant and so forth, but there are benefits to it, such as automatically reloading values when your configuration source (file system, Azure App Configration, etc etc) changes.
Instead of
app.UseMiddleware<Microsoft.AspNetCore.StaticFiles.StaticFileMiddleware>(staticFileOptions);
use
app.UseMiddleware<Microsoft.AspNetCore.StaticFiles.StaticFileMiddleware>(Microsoft.Extensions.Options.Options.Create(staticFileOptions));
(or stick the Microsoft.Extensions.Options as a using and call Options.Create)
This is how UseStaticFiles is implemented in the actual code
According to your error
System.InvalidOperationException: A suitable constructor for type 'Microsoft.AspNetCore.StaticFiles.StaticFileMiddleware' could not be located. Ensure the type is concrete and services are registered for all parameters of a public constructor.
add public constructor or your constructor is private