AWS Amplify Project Setup with User Authentication

Introduction

Setting up a Next.js project with AWS Amplify and Cognito for user authentication can be a daunting task, but it provides a robust and secure solution for managing user access and data. In this blog post, we’ll walk through the steps to create a working shell for your Next.js project, complete with a DynamoDB table, a Lambda function for data operations, API Gateway integration, and real-time updates with AppSync.

Initial Setup

1. Install the AWS Amplify CLI and configure it with your AWS credentials.
2. Initialize a new Amplify project and choose the appropriate options for your Next.js application.
3. Add authentication to your project using the amplify add auth command, and select the “Default configuration” option.

Adding a DynamoDB Table

1. Run the amplify add storage command and choose “DynamoDB” as the data source.
2. Configure the table name, partition key, and any additional attributes you need.
3. Make sure to set the DynamoDB table permissions to “Auth and Guest Users” to restrict public access.

Creating a Lambda Function

1. Use the amplify add function command to create a new Lambda function.
2. Choose “Node.js” as the function runtime.
3. In the function code, import the necessary AWS SDK clients (DynamoDB, AppSync, etc.) and implement the desired logic for querying, updating, and inserting data into the DynamoDB table.
4. Make sure to include the necessary authentication checks and validate the user’s permissions before performing any data operations.

Configuring API Gateway

1. Run the amplify add api command and select “REST API” as the service type.
2. Choose the appropriate options for the API Gateway configuration, such as authentication type and path mappings.
3. Connect the Lambda function created earlier to the API Gateway endpoints.

Setting up AppSync

1. Use the amplify add codegen command to set up the AppSync code generation.
2. Configure the AppSync API by running amplify add api and selecting “GraphQL” as the service type.
3. Choose the appropriate options for the AppSync API, including authentication type and data sources.
4. Connect the DynamoDB table as a data source for the AppSync API.
5. Define the necessary GraphQL queries, mutations, and subscriptions for your application.
6. Generate the GraphQL code using the amplify codegen command.

Creating the “Hello World” Component

1. In your Next.js application, create a new component called “HelloWorld.”
2. Import the necessary GraphQL operations (queries, mutations, subscriptions) generated by the AppSync code generation.
3. Implement the component logic to display a form where the user can input an ID.
4. Use the GraphQL queries and mutations to fetch and update data from the DynamoDB table via the API Gateway.
5. Subscribe to real-time updates for the specified record ID using the AppSync subscription.
6. Display the updated data in the component whenever a real-time update is received.

Deploying the Application

1. Run amplify push to deploy the entire Amplify project, including the DynamoDB table, Lambda function, API Gateway, and AppSync API.
2. Once the deployment is successful, you can test the application locally or deploy it to a hosting service like AWS Amplify Hosting.

By following these steps, you’ll have a working Next.js project with AWS Amplify and Cognito for user authentication, a DynamoDB table for data storage, a Lambda function for data operations, API Gateway integration, and real-time updates with AppSync. The “Hello World” component will serve as a simple example of how to interact with the AWS services and handle user authentication.