How to get Meteor.user() to return on the server side? - meteor

Question

in a file called /server/main.js (in order to ensure it is loaded last).
console.dir(Meteor.user());
Throws:
Error: Meteor.userId can only be invoked in method calls. Use this.userId in publish functions.
So I try to use, in the same file:
console.dir(this.userId);
returns:
undefined
so, not giving up, I'm thinking "that's fine I'll just read from the cookies in the header":
var connect = Npm.require('connect');
__meteor_bootstrap__.app.use(connect.query()).use(function(req, res, next) {
console.dir(req.headers);
next();
});
.... returns nothing in terms of cookies except for 'cookie: 'uvf=1''
I'm not sure what to conclude - this is senseless as I can otherwise use the Meteor.Account framework just fine, read/set user properties, etc. The server is clearly aware of the user, and the current user clearly logged in.
I'm at a complete loss, any explanation / hint / pointer would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

You have to use Meteor.user() in a place where a request is made from the client (such as a Meteor.methods or a Meteor.publish).
It can't be placed anywhere else because meteor wouldn't know at that point in the code the user is supposed to bound to. If there is a place a request of some form is made from the client it can do this:
In a Meteor.publish:
Meteor.publish("collection", function() {
//returns undefined if not logged in so check if logged in first
if(this.userId) {
var user = Meteor.users.findOne(this.userId);
//var user is the same info as would be given in Meteor.user();
}
});
In a Meteor.methods:
Meteor.methods({
"test":function() {
//should print the user details if logged in, undefined otherwise.
console.log(Meteor.user());
}
}
To use Meteor.user() on a server side route:
You need Meteor router installed as a package via meteorite to allow you to have a server rendered page. (installed via mrt install router)
A server side route could then handle the web request:
Meteor.Router.add('/awebpage', function(id) {
var userId = this.params.userid;
var logintoken = this.params.logintoken;
var isdirect = this.param.direct;
var user = Meteor.users.findOne({_id:userId,"services.resume.loginTokens.token":logintoken});
if(user) {
//the user is successfully logged in
return "You, "+user.profile.name+", are logged in!";
}
else
{
if(isdirect) {
return "<h3>Loading</h3><script>window.location.href="/awebpage?direct=true&userid="+localStorage.getItem("Meteor.userId") +"&logintoken="+localStorage.getItem("Meteor.loginToken")</script>";
}
else
{
return "Not logged in"
}
}
});
So now when you visit /awebpage it would check whether the user is logged in and do the thing you want when they are logged in. Initially there is a redirect to relay the data from localstorage back to the URI.

Answer 2

You can expose the userId with Meteor.publish() to global scope. Then you can use it with Meteor.Router's server side routes.
--
/server/publications.js
CurrentUserId = null;
Meteor.publish(null, function() {
CurrentUserId = this.userId;
});
-
/server/routes.js
Meteor.Router.add('/upload', 'POST', function() {
if (!CurrentUserId)
return [403, 'Forbidden'];
// proceed with upload...
});

Answer 3

You can use the logged in callback
Accounts.onLogin((obj)->
user = ob.user
)
Accounts.onLogin(function(obj){
var user = ob.user
})

Answer 4

I recently wrote a blog post describing solution to this: https://blog.hagmajer.com/server-side-routing-with-authentication-in-meteor-6625ed832a94.
You basically need to set up a server route using a https://atmospherejs.com/mhagmajer/server-router package and you can get current user with this.userId just like with Meteor methods.