Single API use for authenticated and guest user - laravel

Question

My laravel application route configured on routes/api.php is.
<?php
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
Route::post('see_all_product', 'API\ProductController#see_all_product');
?>
Issue is i want to sent list of product but if user authenticated then send product favorite flag 1, and if not authenticated then send return favorite 0
But both case send product list with favorite flag.
If i logged in with my user id and password and send request for see_all_product that time i m getting blank user.
$user = $request->user();
But if i set route like below i m getting user details.
<?php
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
Route::group(['middleware' => 'auth:api'], function(){
Route::post('see_all_product', 'API\ProductController#see_all_product');
});
?>
Now issue is how can i get details if authorization set in the header with same api.
<?php
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
Route::post('see_all_product', 'API\ProductController#see_all_product');
?>
My see_all_product Function
public function see_all_product(Request $request){
try {
$user = $request->user();
} catch (Exception $ex) {
Log::error($ex);
}
}
API is same for both authenticated and guest user.
I pass authorization token in both case but middleware route i get user details but non middleware route i dont get user information.
Please guide me where i can miss something?

Answer 1

I think you can do it by the way instead of $request->user():
if (auth('api')->check()) {
$user = auth('api')->user();
}

Answer 2

Turn off ['middleware'=> 'auth:api']
use: $request->user('api'); in your controller.
Guests can use the api but user is null;
Auth users can use api as a real user.
alt:
Auth::guard('api')->user();
auth('api')->user();

Answer 3

I didn't test this method on old versions of Laravel, but it should work just fine on the latest ones.
You can create another Middleware that allows ether authenticated or guest users to proceed.
If the user is authenticated then the middleware will prepare the Auth object and auth() function for you.
<?php
namespace App\Http\Middleware;
use Closure;
use Illuminate\Contracts\Auth\Factory as Auth;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
class AuthOptional
{
/**
* The authentication factory instance.
*
* #var \Illuminate\Contracts\Auth\Factory
*/
protected $auth;
/**
* Create a new middleware instance.
*
* #param \Illuminate\Contracts\Auth\Factory $auth
* #return void
*/
public function __construct(Auth $auth)
{
$this->auth = $auth;
}
/**
* Handle an incoming request.
*
* #param \Illuminate\Http\Request $request
* #param \Closure $next
* #return mixed
*/
public function handle(Request $request, Closure $next, ...$guards)
{
$this->authenticate($request, $next, $guards);
return $next($request);
}
/**
* Determine if the user is logged in to any of the given guards.
*
* #param \Illuminate\Http\Request $request
* #param array $guards
* #return void
*
*/
protected function authenticate($request, $next, array $guards)
{
if (empty($guards)) {
$guards = [null];
}
foreach ($guards as $guard) {
if ($this->auth->guard($guard)->check()) {
return $this->auth->shouldUse($guard);
}
}
//If unauthenticated allow the user anyway
$this->unauthenticated($request, $next, $guards);
}
/**
* Handle an unauthenticated user.
*
* #param \Illuminate\Http\Request $request
* #param array $guards
* #return void
*
*/
protected function unauthenticated($request, $next, array $guards)
{
return $next($request);
}
}
Import the newly created Middleware under app/Http/kernel.php
protected $routeMiddleware = [
....
'auth.optional' => \App\Http\Middleware\AuthOptional::class
];
And finally use it like this:
<?php
Route::group(['middleware' => ['auth.optional:api']],
});
?>
Now auth()->user() will return the user if user is authenticated and
null if it's not