rolify

Very simple Roles library without any authorization enforcement supporting scope on resource object.

Let's see an example:

user.has_role?(:moderator, Forum.first) 
=> false # if user is moderator of another Forum

This library can be easily integrated with any authentication gem (devise, Authlogic, Clearance) and authorization gem* (CanCan, authority)

*: authorization gem that doesn't provide a role class

Requirements

• Rails >= 3.2
• ActiveRecord >= 3.2 or Mongoid >= 3.1
• supports ruby 2.0/1.9.3, JRuby 1.6.0+ (in 1.9 mode) and Rubinius 2.0.0dev (in 1.9 mode)
• support of ruby 1.8 has been dropped due to Mongoid >=3.0 that only supports 1.9 new hash syntax

Installation

In Rails 3, add this to your Gemfile and run the +bundle+ command.

  gem "rolify"

Getting Started

1. Generate Role Model

First, create your Role model and migration file using this generator:

  rails g rolify Role User

Role and User classes are the default. You can specify any Role class name you want. This is completly a new file so any name can do the job. For the User class name, you would probably use the one provided by your authentication solution. rolify just adds some class methods in an existing User class.

If you want to use Mongoid instead of ActiveRecord, just add --orm=mongoid argument, and skip to step #3

2. Run the migration (only required when using ActiveRecord)

Let's migrate !

  rake db:migrate

3.1 Configure your user model

This gem adds the rolify method to your User class. You can also specify optional callbacks on the User class for when roles are added or removed:

  class User < ActiveRecord::Base
    rolify :before_add => :before_add_method

    def before_add_method(role)
      # do something before it gets added
    end
  end

The rolify method accepts the following callback options:

• before_add
• after_add
• before_remove
• after_remove

Mongoid callbacks are also supported and works the same way.

3.2 Configure your resource models

In the resource models you want to apply roles on, just add resourcify method. For example, on this ActiveRecord class:

class Forum < ActiveRecord::Base
  resourcify
end

4. Add a role to a user

To define a global role:

  user = User.find(1)
  user.add_role :admin

To define a role scoped to a resource instance

  user = User.find(2)
  user.add_role :moderator, Forum.first

To define a role scoped to a resource class

  user = User.find(3)
  user.add_role :moderator, Forum

That's it !

5. Role queries

To check if a user has a global role:

  user = User.find(1)
  user.add_role :admin # sets a global role
  user.has_role? :admin
  => true

To check if a user has a role scoped to a resource instance:

  user = User.find(2)
  user.add_role :moderator, Forum.first # sets a role scoped to a resource instance
  user.has_role? :moderator, Forum.first
  => true
  user.has_role? :moderator, Forum.last
  => false

To check if a user has a role scoped to a resource class:

  user = User.find(3)
  user.add_role :moderator, Forum # sets a role scoped to a resource class
  user.has_role? :moderator, Forum
  => true
  user.has_role? :moderator, Forum.first
  => true
  user.has_role? :moderator, Forum.last
  => true

A global role overrides resource role request:

  user = User.find(4)
  user.add_role :moderator # sets a global role
  user.has_role? :moderator, Forum.first
  => true
  user.has_role? :moderator, Forum.last
  => true

6. Resource roles querying

Starting from rolify 3.0, you can search roles on instance level or class level resources.

Instance level

  forum = Forum.first
  forum.roles
  # => [ list of roles that are only binded to forum instance ]
  forum.applied_roles
  # => [ list of roles binded to forum instance and to the Forum class ]

Class level

  Forum.with_role(:admin)
  # => [ list of Forum instances that has role "admin" binded to it ] 
  Forum.with_role(:admin, current_user)
  # => [ list of Forum instances that has role "admin" binded to it and belongs to current_user roles ]
  
  Forum.find_roles
  # => [ list of roles that binded to any Forum instance or to the Forum class ]
  Forum.find_roles(:admin)
  # => [ list of roles that binded to any Forum instance or to the Forum class with "admin" as a role name ]
  Forum.find_roles(:admin, current_user)
  # => [ list of roles that binded to any Forum instance or to the Forum class with "admin" as a role name and belongs to current_user roles ]

Resources

• Wiki
• Usage: all the available commands
• Tutorials:
  • How-To use rolify with Devise and CanCan
  • Using rolify with Devise and Authority
  • Step-by-step tutorial provided by RailsApps

Upgrade from previous versions

Please read the upgrade instructions.

Questions or Problems?

If you have any issue or feature request with/for rolify, please add an issue on GitHub or fork the project and send a pull request.

To get the specs running you should call bundle and then rake. See the spec/README for more information.