How to build a public Glide integration: Building the Auth Flow

Hey there, fellow JavaScript wizards! Ready to dive into the world of Glide integrations? Today, we're going to tackle one of the most crucial aspects of building a public integration: the authorization flow. Buckle up, because we're about to make auth both secure and smooth as butter.

Prerequisites

Before we jump in, make sure you've got your JavaScript chops ready and a basic understanding of Glide's API. We'll be using Node.js, so have that installed along with your favorite package manager.

Setting up the project

Let's kick things off by setting up our project:

mkdir glide-integration
cd glide-integration
npm init -y
npm install express axios dotenv

Create an index.js file, and we're ready to roll!

Designing the auth flow

We'll be implementing OAuth 2.0 for our auth flow. For a user-facing integration, the Authorization Code grant type is our go-to choice. It's secure and allows for server-side token management.

Implementing the auth flow

Creating the authorization endpoint

First, let's set up our authorization URL:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.get('/auth', (req, res) => {
  const authUrl = `https://api.glide.com/oauth/authorize?client_id=${process.env.CLIENT_ID}&redirect_uri=${encodeURIComponent(process.env.REDIRECT_URI)}&response_type=code`;
  res.redirect(authUrl);
});

Implementing the token exchange

Now, let's handle the callback and exchange the code for tokens:

const axios = require('axios');

app.get('/callback', async (req, res) => {
  const { code } = req.query;
  
  try {
    const response = await axios.post('https://api.glide.com/oauth/token', {
      grant_type: 'authorization_code',
      code,
      client_id: process.env.CLIENT_ID,
      client_secret: process.env.CLIENT_SECRET,
      redirect_uri: process.env.REDIRECT_URI
    });
    
    // Store tokens securely (more on this later)
    const { access_token, refresh_token } = response.data;
    
    res.send('Authorization successful!');
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).send('Authorization failed');
  }
});

Token storage and management

For token storage, consider using a secure database. Here's a simple refresh mechanism:

async function refreshToken(refreshToken) {
  try {
    const response = await axios.post('https://api.glide.com/oauth/token', {
      grant_type: 'refresh_token',
      refresh_token: refreshToken,
      client_id: process.env.CLIENT_ID,
      client_secret: process.env.CLIENT_SECRET
    });
    
    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Token refresh failed:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

Error handling and edge cases

Always be prepared for the unexpected! Handle errors gracefully:

app.use((err, req, res, next) => {
  console.error(err.stack);
  res.status(500).send('Something broke!');
});

Testing the auth flow

Don't forget to test! Here's a quick example using Jest:

test('Authorization endpoint redirects to Glide', async () => {
  const response = await request(app).get('/auth');
  expect(response.status).toBe(302);
  expect(response.headers.location).toContain('api.glide.com/oauth/authorize');
});

Security considerations

Security is paramount! Always use HTTPS, implement CSRF protection, and consider rate limiting to prevent abuse.

Integrating with Glide's API

Now that we have our tokens, let's make an API call:

async function makeGlideApiCall(accessToken) {
  try {
    const response = await axios.get('https://api.glide.com/some-endpoint', {
      headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${accessToken}` }
    });
    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('API call failed:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

Wrapping up

And there you have it! We've built a robust auth flow for our Glide integration. Remember, this is just the beginning. Keep exploring the Glide API, add more features to your integration, and most importantly, have fun building!

Happy coding, and may your integrations be ever awesome! 🚀