How To Create A Login Page In Asp Net Mvc

Log in here

Creating a login page is an essential part of building a web application, and ASP.NET MVC provides a powerful framework for accomplishing this task. In this article, I will guide you through the process of creating a login page in ASP.NET MVC, sharing my personal insights and commentary along the way.

Setting Up the Project

Before we dive into creating the login page, let’s start by setting up a new ASP.NET MVC project. Open Visual Studio and select “Create a new project.” Choose the ASP.NET Web Application template and name your project.

Once the project is created, we need to install the necessary packages. Right-click on the project in the Solution Explorer, select “Manage NuGet Packages,” and search for “Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.EntityFramework.” Install this package, as it provides the functionality we need for user authentication and authorization.

Creating the Login View

Now that our project is set up, let’s create the login view. In the “Views” folder, add a new folder called “Account,” and within that folder, add a new view called “Login.cshtml.” This view will be responsible for rendering the login form.

Open the “Login.cshtml” file and add the following code:

<form action="/Account/Login" method="post">
<div>
<label for="username">Username:</label>
<input type="text" id="username" name="username" />
</div>
<div>
<label for="password">Password:</label>
<input type="password" id="password" name="password" />
</div>
<input type="submit" value="Login" />
</form>

In this code, we have a simple HTML form that collects the username and password from the user. The form’s action attribute is set to “/Account/Login,” which is the URL where the form data will be submitted.

Creating the Login Controller

Now that we have the login view, let’s create the controller that will handle the login request. In the “Controllers” folder, add a new controller called “AccountController.”

Open the “AccountController.cs” file and add the following code:

using System.Web.Mvc;

return RedirectToAction("Index", "Home");
}
}

In this code, we have two actions: one for handling the GET request to display the login view and another for handling the POST request to process the login form data. Currently, the POST action simply redirects the user to the home page, but we’ll add the necessary validation and redirection logic later.

Implementing User Authentication and Authorization

Now that we have the login page and controller set up, let’s implement user authentication and authorization. In the “Models” folder, add a new class called “ApplicationUser.cs.”

Open the “ApplicationUser.cs” file and add the following code:

using Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.EntityFramework;

public class ApplicationUser : IdentityUser
{
// Add any additional properties you need for your user model here
}

This class inherits from the “IdentityUser” class provided by the “Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.EntityFramework” package. You can add any additional properties you need for your user model, such as name, email, etc.

Next, open the “AccountController.cs” file and modify the “Login” POST action as follows:

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult Login(string username, string password)
{
var user = UserManager.Find(username, password);

ModelState.AddModelError("", "Invalid username or password");
return View();
}

In this code, we use the “UserManager” and “SignInManager” classes provided by the “Microsoft.AspNet.Identity” namespace to authenticate the user. If the authentication is successful, we sign in the user and redirect them to the home page. Otherwise, we add a model error to the ModelState and return the login view, displaying an error message to the user.

Conclusion

Creating a login page in ASP.NET MVC is a crucial step in building a secure web application. By following the steps outlined in this article, you now have a solid foundation for implementing user authentication and authorization in your ASP.NET MVC project. Remember to customize and enhance the login page to fit the unique requirements of your application. Happy coding!