To-do App Build Along (PART 2): Logging in and Authenticated Requests

Welcome to this tutorial on implementing user registration and creating todo tasks in Xano, a no-code platform for building backend services. In this article, we'll walk through the process of setting up user authentication, ensuring unique usernames, creating a default task list for new users, and allowing authenticated users to add tasks with dynamic ordering based on due dates.

Step 1: Setting up User Registration

Before we dive into the todo task functionality, let's ensure that our user registration process is set up correctly. Head to the API default group in Xano and locate the `signup` endpoint. If you don't have an authentication endpoint, you can add one from the top-right corner by selecting "Authentication" and then "Signup."

1. In the `signup` endpoint, add a new input field named "username" of type text.
2. Add a conditional statement to check if the email and username already exist in the database.

• Use the `query all records` function to search for existing usernames.
• Set the condition to check if the `user` is `null` (email doesn't exist) and if the `username` doesn't exist.
• If the username already exists, throw an error message.

1. After verifying the uniqueness of the email and username, add a new record to the "to-do list" table for the newly registered user.

• Set the `user ID` field to the ID of the newly created user.
• Dynamically generate the name of the task list by capitalizing the user's name and adding "Task List" (e.g., "Cameron's Task List").

By following these steps, you'll ensure that new users have a unique username and a default task list created upon registration.

Step 2: Adding Tasks to the Task List

Now that we have user registration set up, let's focus on adding tasks to the task list. Head to the `post tasks` endpoint in the API default group.

1. Disable the `order` and `completed` fields, as we'll handle these on the backend.
2. Obtain the `to-do list ID` from the `auth me` endpoint, which provides information about the logged-in user, including their task list.
3. In the `post tasks` endpoint, add a `query all records` function to count the number of existing tasks with the same `to-do list ID` and `due date`.
4. Use the `count` of existing tasks to dynamically calculate the `order` for the new task by adding 1 to the count.
5. Add the new task record with the provided `name`, `description`, `due date`, `to-do list ID`, and the calculated `order`.

By following these steps, authenticated users can add tasks to their task list, and the tasks will be ordered dynamically based on their due dates.

Step 3: Testing and Deployment

After completing the above steps, publish your changes and test the functionality. You can create new user accounts, log in using the generated auth token, and add tasks to the task list. Verify that the tasks are ordered correctly based on their due dates and that users can only access their own task lists.

Congratulations! You've successfully implemented user registration, unique username checking, default task list creation, and dynamic task ordering in Xano. This setup lays the foundation for building a fully-featured to-do list application with authentication and authorization.

Remember, Xano is a powerful no-code platform that simplifies backend development, making it accessible to both non-technical users and developers alike. Keep exploring and building amazing applications with Xano!