Django and React Authentication with JWT and HTTP-Only Cookies

This project implements a user authentication system using Django and React. It includes user registration, login, logout, and fetching user data. Authentication is handled using JWT (JSON Web Tokens) and HTTP-only cookies for improved security. The application's frontend is styled using Bootstrap.

The project consists of two directories:

• client: Contains the React application
• server: Contains the Django backend

Installation

To run this project on your local machine, follow the steps below:

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed on your local machine:

• Python 3.8 or higher
• Node.js v14.15.0 or higher
• npm 6.14.9 or higher

Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/<yourusername>/<yourrepository>.git
   

2. Change into the directory:

   cd <yourrepository>
   

Server

1. Navigate to the server directory:

   cd server
   

2. Install Django and other dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

3. Create a virtual environment (Optional but recommended):

   python -m venv env
   

4. Activate the virtual environment: On Windows:

   .\env\Scripts\activate
   

   On MacOS/Linux:

   source env/bin/activate
   

5. Create a .env file in the server directory and add your secret key like this:

   SECRET_KEY=<your-secret-key>
   

Client

1. Navigate to the client directory:

   cd ../client
   

2. Install all the dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Run the client:

   npm start
   

Now, your application should be running at localhost:3000.

Note:

• The Django server should be running at the same time as the React application for the system to function properly.
• The application uses the email field instead of the username field for user identification.