Understanding Type Authorization in GraphQL
- In GraphQL, type authorization helps keep our data secure by controlling who can access different parts of our GraphQL schema based on their roles or permissions.
- This means that we can decide which parts of our API users can access and what they can do with the data.
- For example, we might want to restrict certain users from accessing sensitive information or limit who can make changes to certain types of data.
- By setting up type authorization, we can ensure that only authorized users can query or modify specific parts of our API, helping to keep our data safe and secure
Implementation:
Let’s consider an example of type authorization in a GraphQL schema definition using Ruby on Rails with the authorize directive:
# Define a module for GraphQL types
module Types
# Define a class for the ProjectType GraphQL object
class ProjectType < BaseObject
# Authorize the read_project permission for this type
authorize :read_project
end
end
Explanation: In the above code, we declare an object type called ProjectType within the Types module. The ProjectType class extends from BaseObject, which is a recommended practice in the case of a GraphQL schema definition. Then, we will authorize read_project permission to enable this object type to be accessed. It means that only users who have a read_project permission will be allowed to carry out columns inquiry or modification. It defines the GraphQL strict-type-based authorization which allows for granting or denying access based on permissions defined for whole types.
Authorization in GraphQL
In the field of GraphQL API building security is a primary consideration. A security measure that allows access to resources and functionalities on an API is the authorization that is used to ensure security.
In this article, We will learn about the type and field authorization state in GraphQL, including resolver authorization, field authorization, and the case deploying two approaches.
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